20 [APPENDIX 



hundred yards square. They appear to be composed of the valley and 

 neither rocks or small stones were to be found on any part of them. 

 The first impression received by the traveler on coming up to them, is 

 that they were the work of art, perhaps thrown up by the aborigines to 

 secure themselves from -inundation ; but when we consider their extent 

 and number, it will be found rather inconsistent with the habits of these 

 people to erect works of this extent ; there are no traditions among the 

 Indian's of this part of the country respecting the origin of these singu 

 larly formed hills. 



The causes of their production must remain a secret which future 

 time alone, and the art of man, will eventually unravel. Their irregu 

 lar dispersion and general uniformity of character indicates an origin 

 from natural causes than otherwise, though it must be confessed that the 

 agents that are active in producing them are not very apparent. 



The upper terrace or " Mesa " of the Salinas, exhibits more distinctly 

 the sources from which the superficial covering of the plain has been 

 derived ; the soil is harsh and gravelly, and retains moisture but a short 

 time after the rains cease ; it much resembles the soils derived from the 

 granitic rocks of some parts of the mining counties ; but notwithstand 

 ing the sterile features of this "Mesa," it produces the wild oat in suffi 

 cient abundance to furnish extensive grazing land, and in the "Encinals" 

 the natural crop is heavy. 



The slopes of the hills on the eastern side produce the same grain, 

 but here it is frequently replaced by the indigenious grasses ; these latter 

 do not become so general until after passing above the limestone range, 

 and these rocks seem to favor in an eminent degree the growth of the 

 cereal to that of the grasses in this section and south beyond the Chupe- 

 dero ; beyond this the grasses form the principle covering of the hills on 

 the east side of the plain to the southern extremity of the range. 



The Salinas has an inclination of eight degrees' in twelve miles trans 

 versely to its course. The line was projected from the Chupedero and 

 carried through the Carmel Mountains to the sea, and connected with 

 another line which was carried through the Monte Diablo Eange and 

 Canada San Juan at a distance of two miles south of Los Muertas, there 

 by obtaining a sectional profile from the western edge of the San Joaquin 

 to the ocean. 



The section thus formed will give the following series, and the order 

 in which they occur. First, alluvium of the San Joaquin, tertiary 

 sandstone containing no fossils, and resting on trachytes; 1200 feet 

 on east ridge, the trap rocks are found, same altitude on west ridge, 

 porous and compact lavas, on the west slope 400 feet above the level of 

 the Arroya San Juan, mountain limestone. Yalley .half a mile in 

 breadth flanked by calcareous rocks, resting on granite, 1600 feet through 

 to the Chupedero granitic and trapean rocks, 400 feet above Salinas 

 "Valley crystatine limestone, valley twelve miles in breadth, ascend one 

 high plateau of sixty -four feet of gravelly alluvium, thence over a high 

 ridge trapean rocks, which are followed by coarse granitic rocks to the 

 sea. The highest ridge is the granitic mountains toward the ocean, and 

 the highest point crossed 2900 feet. 



