10 



Eastward from Fort Ross few persons have traveled, and fewer still will proba 

 bly ever attempt to describe that portion of the mountain ridges ; it is frequented 

 only by the hunter, its rugged character rendering it unadapted to other uses. 



Between the western or ocean ridges and the first high ranges to the east, lies 

 the extensive valley of Petaluma, the length of which, between its extremes proper, 

 is forty miles, with a varying width from eight to fourteen miles. Separated 

 from this by a range of hills is the valley of Russian River, an elevated fertile 

 plain of about seventeen miles in extent, and which ceases at the great bend of 

 that stream at the point where the river canons, and in the vicinity of twenty-five 

 miles from the coast. 



Near the head of Russian River, and between that stream and the waters of 

 Clear Lake, stands the high truncated summit of Mount Helen ; upon its summit, 

 fastened to the solid rock, is a plate of copper bearing a Russian inscription. 



North and west of the mountain extend a line of rugged r barren, volcanic 

 peaks at a short distance from the edge of the valley which skirts the lake ; and 

 again, upon its north-west and northern end the same wild features abound. 

 These mountains are covered, to a greater or less extent, with volcanic glass, most 

 unmistakeable evidence of their recent origin. 



This lake, situated at a considerable elevation in these mountains, is not far 

 from twenty-five miles in length, with a variable breadth of from one to seven or 

 nine miles. The valley forming its shores is well timbered and possesses high 

 productive capacities if properly tilled. This lake furnishes the principal water 

 for Cache and Puta Creeks, which reaches the Sacramento through tte tule 

 marshes that border that stream to the south-east of where those streams emerge 

 from the mountains. 



Traveling in a northerly direction from the north border of this sheet of water, 

 you cross two ridges giving rise to several streams that flow into the Sacramento 

 for forty miles beyond, when an oblique line of ridges commence, bearing a more 

 westerly direction than those of the preceding portions of the. mountains spoken 

 of, and whose western flanks form the shed, furnishing the southern tributaries 

 of the South Trinity and Lower Klamath with part of their waters, which are 

 thus discharged directly into the Pacific Ocean. South of the preceding, there 

 are several other streams furnished from these mountains, which discharge their 

 waters at various points along the line of the coast. 



From the head of Stone Creek I reached the valley sections of the Sacramento, 

 and arriving at Shasta, again went over a portion of the route of the preceding 

 year, to the base of that part of the Coast Mountains known as the Trinity 

 Mountains, and crossed the latter from the waters of Clear Creek about eighteen 

 miles above the point crossed in 1854. These mountains maintain an average 

 hight for their entire length of nearly or quite four thousand feet and bear a 

 westerly bend ; the distance from base to base being about twelve miles. I 

 have crossed this ridge at four different points, but never at a less distance than 

 nine miles. They divide the waters of the Trinity and Clear Creeks ; the one 

 flowing into the Pacific by the Klamath, and the latter into the same ocean by 

 the Sacramento. After crossing these mountains and the streams at their base, 

 the route lies for the most part on or near the river. This portion of the stream 

 is Steward's Fork, (improperly called the " North Fork," the North Fork proper 

 being situated some thirty miles below Gribb's Ferry,) and may be followed with 

 ease nearly to its sources, being fordable at short distances for its entire length. 



The ridge dividing the Trinity from the Salmon is an elevated, rough and 

 rocky group of jagged peaks, having an average hight of about five thousand 

 feet. On their southern slope'there is nothing of interest, but on the northern 

 declivities there are to be found the local drift deposits, which are observable on 

 the flanks of the Sierra Nevada. 



