12 RESOURCES OF CALIFORNIA. 



miles northward from it, in the Sierra Nevada. After running 

 westward to the middle of the valley, it turns northward. 

 From its bend southward, the valley discharges no water to 

 the ocean during the summer ; but in wet winters there are 

 continuous sloughs, or pieces of marsh-like ground, from the 

 Tejon to the San Joaquin. In the dry season, no channel is 

 visible for the escape of the waters of Tulare and Kern Lakes. 



§ 10. Bivers of the Sacramento Basin. — The rivers flow- 

 ing down from the Sierra Nevada are about one hundred and 

 twenty miles long on an average, following their courses. The 

 upper half of their length is in the mountains, where they are 

 torrents, falling five thousand feet in fifty miles. Their beds 

 are in deep canons ; after reaching the plain their currents are 

 gentle, and they meander between low banks, fringed with 

 oaks, sycamores, cotton wood, and willows. In the south- 

 ern part of the Sacramento basin there are several large 

 streams, which, soon after issuing from the mountains, divide 

 into a number of channels, as do some large rivers which have 

 deltas near their entrance to the sea. King's River, which is 

 about eighty yards wide where it leaves the mountains, divides 

 into seven or eight channels, which all unite again. The Ca- 

 huilla or Pipiyuma River, also a large stream, divides into a 

 number of channels, which irrigate " the Four-Creek country," 

 and render it one of the most fruitful parts of the state. 



The Sacramento River is navigable for steamers drawing 

 three feet of water, to Sacramento City, and to Red Bluff for 

 boats drawing fifteen inches. The Feather River is navigated 

 by steamers drawing fifteen inches, to Marysville, seventy-five 

 miles from Sacramento ; and boats have ascended to Oroville, 

 twenty-five miles farther. Steamers drawing five feet can run 

 regularly to Stockton, on the San Joaquin, a distance of one 

 hundred and thirty miles from San Francisco ; and in times of 

 higrh water, a boat drawino^ about fifteen inches ascends to 

 Fresno City, one hundred and fifty miles farther. A number 

 of sloughs or tide-water creeks, navigable for small vessels, 

 open into the bays of San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun. 



