64 EESOtTPvCES OF CALIFORNIA. 



becomes liquid at 85°. Some springs of it rise in the sea, near 

 San Diego, and others near Santa Barbara ; and masses of the 

 asphaltum are seen floating many miles from shore. The air 

 at sea is even scented with it, and on several occasions frights 

 on siiipboard have been caused by its odor, which was sup- 

 posed to come from some hidden fire. 



The principal places in which these springs of asphaltum are 

 found are the following: 



1. In the Santa Cruz Mountains, in the southeastern part of 

 Santa Clara county. A tract of twenty-five acres is here cov- 

 ered by the hardened asphaltum. 



2. In San Luis Obispo valley. The asphaltum covers thirty 

 acres. 



3. The Napoma ranch, in San Luis Obispo county. The 

 springs are small, and yield but little. 



4. On the ranch of La Purissima, in Santa Barbara coun- 



5. A place six miles west of the town of Santa Barbara. 

 The deposit of asphaltum covers three hundred acres from two 

 to eight feet thick. 



6. Rincon of San Buenaventura, Santa Barbara county. 



I. A place near the San Buenaventura River, twelve miles 

 from its mouth, in Santa Barbara county. 



8. A place near the Santa Clara River, eighteen miles from 

 its mouth, in Santa Barbara county. 



9. A place in the Sierra Santa Susanna, in Los Angeles 

 county. 



10. In Los Angeles valley, Los Angeles county. 



II. The San Pedro Hills, in Los Angeles county. 

 12. San Juan Capistrano, Los Angeles county. 



One of the deposits in Santa Barbara is so near the sea, that 

 the mineral might be thrown w^th a shovel into a shute which 

 w^ould carry it into the hold of a vessel at anchor. 



A spring of mineral oil has been found in Mattole valley, 

 Humboldt county. This is probably the same material with 

 that of the asphaltum springs of the southern coast. 



