HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA. 



Ill 



site of Benicia is a gentle slope, which, descending to 

 the water, becomes almost a plain. Vessels of the 

 first class can lie at anchor at its bank, and discharge 

 their cargoes, and the harbor is safe from violent 

 winds. The town has been made the head-quarters of the 

 Pacific division of the United States army, and a site 

 for a navy-yard has been selected by Commodore Jones. 

 The marks of governmental favor show in what estima 

 tion the position of Benicia is held. The town was 

 laid out in 1848, by Robert Semple and Thomas 0; 

 Larkin. Early in 1850, lots were selling at very high 

 rates, and the population numbered more than a 

 thousand persons. 



Between Benicia and Sacramento city, several towns 

 have been laid out, all in very favorable positions. 

 The principal are Martinez, on the southern shore of 

 the strait of Carquinez, nearly opposite Benicia ; New 

 York of the Pacific, at the junction of the River San 

 Joaquin with the Bay of Suisan; Suisan, on the west 

 bank of the Sacramento, at a distance of eighty miles 

 from San Francisco. 



Next to San Francisco, Sacramento is the largest 

 city in California. It is situated on the eastern bank 

 of the Sacramento River, one hundred miles from San 

 Francisco, and sixty-five from Suisan Bay. It is 

 located on a beautiful plain, which is not elevated more 

 than ten or twelve feet above the river at low water. 

 This being insufficient to protect it from the rise of 

 the waters of the river, several disastrous floods have 

 occurred during the existence of the city. Up to this 

 point, the river is navigable for large class steamers. 

 Ships drawing not more than twelve feet of water may 

 go up that far at all seasons ; and, besides these 

 commercial advantages, Sacramento is the natural 



