PREFACE 



In the early part of June the tour for 1855 was entered upon, and continued 

 uninterruptedly till the middle of January, 1856, comprising a period of nearly 

 eight months of actual labor in the field. With the exception of eighteen days, 

 during which time I lay sick at Shasta City with the malarious disease contracted 

 in the Sacramento Yalley hi the discharge of my duties, I have been engaged in 

 examining the mineral and agricultural capacities of those portions of the 

 State over which my route led me, and noting their economical adaptations. 

 The first part of the season was spent in the line of counties extending from 

 Marin to the south part of Mendocino, and included between the coast and Sac 

 ramento River, and crossing the coast chain, in a diagonal direction, across the 

 south-east and east part of the County of Humboldt, again to the plains. Sub 

 sequent to this, my course was directed to the northern counties, through Shasta, 

 a portion 1 of Klamath and Siskiyou. On the Upper Trinity, the head waters of 

 Salmon and Scott Rivers, much of my time was spent in exploring the tolerably 

 rugged mountains of this part of the State. 



The Salmon was axamined as far down as the junction of the forks, and the 

 Scott River was followed from six miles above the junction of the South Fork, 

 down the main stream for twenty-five miles. After leaving the Scott River I 

 passed down the Scott Yalley, and over the low ridges which divide this from the 

 Shasta and Yreka Plains, on to the town of Yreka. After leaving this locality 

 I traveled through the valley of Shasta River and down that river to its junction 

 with the Klamath. Leaving this stream at this point, on account of the diffi 

 culty of traveling along its course, I again struck it at two points below. 



During this part of the season the Indian troubles that existed in this part of 

 the State, rendered traveling alone a dangerous undertaking, and as the season 

 was considerably advanced, being then near the latter part of August, I retraced 

 my steps, and reached the Sacramento in the early part of September. I then 

 took up my route for the southern part of the State, and spent the months of 

 October and November in those districts, as far south as the San Bernardino. 



Returning from thence, the balance of the season was spent in the mining 

 portions of the State, the line traveled over extending from the branches of the 

 Feather, through to Mariposa, at which time I closed my labors in the field. 



