200 PHARMACOPEIAL DRUGS 



This exploration was set on foot in order that some 

 information might be obtained relative to the value of 

 a concession made by the Mexican Government to an 

 American company. This grant was expected to lead 

 to a settlement of the country, but the whole thing 

 turned out a failure." 



The work referred to, The State Geological Survey of 

 California in 1867 in charge of Messrs. Gabb and Loehr, 

 is unfortunately not at our command. It may possibly 

 name that "reed" which yielded sugar, as observed by 

 Father Picolo. 



However, the first-named book, by J. Ross Browne, 

 in its second part, A Sketch of the Settlement and Ex- 

 ploration of Lower California, by Alex. S. Taylor, that 

 appeared in 1869, makes mention of the exploration of 

 Lower California that had taken place in 1867 by 

 Messrs. Gabb and Loehr, under the direction of Mr. J. 

 Ross Browne, the results of which, however, were not 

 then published. 



Mr. J. Ross Browne, however, gives a general out- 

 line of this exploration, based on detailed letters he 

 received from Mr. Gabb while on his exploring tour. 



P. 66, a description of vegetation in Lower California 

 is given, which may be condensed as follows: 



"Agaves (century plant) are also abundant, may be 

 useful in the future to extract spirits from the root. . . . 

 Acacias, palms with edible fruits, coniferse, oaks, wild 

 plums, cottonwoods, sycamores, willows, elder. The 

 Arabian date palm, introduced by missionaries, is 

 thriving. The sugar cane has been cultivated for more 

 than a century, and yields a sugar as strong and as 

 sweet as that of Peru, and very abundant in juice." 



P. 82. Letter of Mr. Gabb to Mr. J. Ross Browne, 



