Doc. No. 9. 49 



by one river (the Salinas) for its entire length. The stream is situated 

 on the west side of the valley for the first fifty miles of its course, after 

 which it crosses the valley a short distance above the Soledad Mission, 

 at an angle of forty degrees to the main axis of the plain. The physical 

 appearance of thislarge plain differs much from that of the Santa Clara 

 or the Pajaro ; when viewed from its centre it has a gentle slope from 

 the east toward the west ; but more minute examination exhibits a ter 

 raced form to the plain, similar to those observed on the Sacramento, 

 and are three in number, and each possessing a soil of different degrees 

 of fertility and value. The river has a fall of about two feet to the mile, 

 and has acquired its present position within a very recent period, run 

 ning as it does amongst the most recent tertiary rocks, and alluvium in 

 its more northern portions. Near its sources there are several small 

 streams putting into it, which furnish water throughout the year. The 

 bed of the stream is composed of a fine whitish quicksand, which ren 

 ders it dangerous to ford at times, and it is seldom attempted, except at 

 localities which are used for this purposo. A large portion of the valley, 

 within eight or ten miles of the coast, and on its south-east border and 

 centre, is made up of low wet lands, covered with willows and tule, 

 these terminate in lagoons and sloughs as they approach the coast, and 

 contain a sufficient depth df water to float a medium sized vessel to the 

 Bay of Monterey. The only obstacle that renders these waters innavi 

 gable for some distance into the interior of the valley, are the bars of 

 drift sand which are thrown up by the surf on the coast : a good and 

 substantial breakwater, constructed at some one of these points, would 

 render navigation safe, and materially enhance the value of the public 

 and private property of this section of country, and be the means of 

 affording not only much needed facilities of transportation in the pro 

 ductions of the interior to market, but afford inducements for the per 

 manent settlement of this immense tract of country (now almost, it might 

 be said, uninhabited and unimproved,) which this, or some other equally 

 efficient measure would be the means of consummating in a short period 

 of time. The extent of land in the interior that would be affected by a 

 measure of this kind would be very great ; it being not less than one 

 hundred and fifty miles in length, and possessing capacities for agricul 

 tural production equal to any in the State. This will appear the more 

 evident and necessary, when we find that the lower bottoms above the 

 Salinas Valley are capable of producing a wheat crop, (at thirty -two 

 bushels per acre) sufficient to meet the demands of a population num 

 bering three times that of the present within this State : say nine hun 

 dred thousand. 



A district of our State presenting capacity and advantages of this 

 character, and crippled as it is for the means of transporting its pro 

 ductions to our markets, should command some attention, and such, at 

 least, as would have a tendency to induce an early and permanent set 

 tlement of such lands, if nothing more ; and this the more especially as 

 a considerable area of the over-flowed and saline lands of these plains 

 must ultimately fall Avithin the jurisdiction of the State. 



' 



