REPORT, 



The coast range of mountains, and its included valleys, which form 

 the principle subject of this report, extend from the 42nd paralel north 

 latitude to the southern boundary of the State. Their general features 

 present much more diversity of character than is usually to be found in 

 the eastern chain of mountains, which forms the Sierra Nevada ; from 

 the occurrence of a greater variety of rocks constituting their mass, and 

 the much greater area of covered by the sedimentary formations, the 

 principle of which are sandstones, interspersed occasionally with calca 

 reous rocks, and more rarely slates ; this latter class of rocks forming 

 but a small proportion of the sedimentary formations, of which later ex 

 tensive portions of the coast line of mountains is composed. 



The eastern belt of the coast range presents a repulsive aspect to the 

 traveller as he approaches it from either hand, from its naked and bar 

 ren appearance, producing but little of forest growth in any part of it, 

 while those portions of the coast line of hills proper, are covered to a 

 great extent with forest trees, consisting principally of the redwood, pine, 

 and spruce, with groves of oak near their base, all of which are well 

 adapted to the wants of the settler and usually easy of access. 



This peculiarity in the two principal ridges of this chain was general 

 for near three hundred miles of their course, the eastern ridge presenting 

 no traces of timber except here and there an isolated patch of the pine 

 on some one of its higher points ; and for miles in extent even low shrubs 

 are almost entirely absent, 



Notwithstanding the barren aspect of the eastern belt of the coast ' 

 mountains, it is not to be inferred that their slopes or valleys are unpro 

 ductive, for it is found to be otherwise, being covered with a luxuriant 

 growth of native grains and grasses, with herbaceous plants, affording 

 extensive pasturage for flocks and herds. The lower foothills of the 

 range, and the immediate banks of the small streams that meander 

 through them, afford a few scattering oaks and other trees, but not suffi 

 cient in extent to furnish more than a very small local demand, to so 

 extensive a population as the valley sections at the base of these hills 

 must in a few years require. The oak groves found on the plains are 



