COMMEKCE. 329 



fine farming-lands, and great facilities for commerce. For these 

 reasons, Washington will occupy an important place on the 

 Pacific, will have a dense population, and v/ill contribute much 

 to build up the commerce and increase the wealth of Califor- 

 nia. The climate of the western district of Washington is very 

 moist throughout the year — cool in summer, and not cold in 

 winter. Ice seldom forms more than two inches in thick- 

 ness, or remains more than two or three days ; but the sun is 

 hidden nearly every winter by fogs and clouds, for weeks at a 

 time. The climate of Washington bears as close a resemblance 

 to that of England as does the climate of Calilbrnia to that of 

 Itnly. 



British Columbia has a population of six thousand, yields 

 about one million dollars in gold-dust annually, and has fine 

 forests of ship-timber along the shores of the Gulf of Georgia. 

 The soil is not rich, either on the mainland or on Vancouver 

 Island, and the land will not be extensively cultivated there 

 until after the richer land of Washmgton territory has been 

 occupied. 



The western part of New Mexico and Arizona is a barren 

 country, unfit for tillage, but rich in minerals, which may at 

 some day attract a large population. At present, its white 

 inhabitants, west of the Rocky Mountains, do not number more 

 than one thousand. The present silver production of Arizona 

 may amount to ten thousand dollars per month. Western Ari- 

 zona and New Mexico obtain most of their imported goods 

 from San Francisco. 



The population of Utah is about forty-five thousand, and 

 they do much of their trading with Placerville and Los An- 

 geles. 



The western coast of Mexico, from San Bias north Avard, has 

 a population of about a miUion and a half, and these obtain 

 many of their imported goods from San Francisco. 



The Hawaiian Islands have a population of seventy thou- 

 sand, including two thousand whites, and they obtain most of 

 their imported goods from San Francisco. 



