VIU TRE F A CE. 



in full sight of the greatest rewards for success, and with 

 the fewest chances of failure. 



The general public are aware that California is a peculiar 

 state, and their attention has often been called to certain 

 j^rominent points of wonder, like those to which I have 

 just referred ; but hitherto there has been no careful at- 

 tempt to sum up all that is known of her resources and 

 natural history. I have undertaken that task, and the re- 

 suit of my undertaking is in this book placed before the 

 *'eader. I have been a Californian since 1849, and expect 

 to be as long as I may live. All the most interesting as- 

 sociations of mv life are connected with this state. I 

 arrived in the country while it was still under a territorial 

 government, and more than a year before it was organized 

 as a state under act of Congjress. I saw the land in its 

 original wildness, and saw society, order, trade, industry 

 and polity developed ; and I now see about me the begin- 

 nings and promises of science, art, literature, philosophy, 

 and whatever can enrich or honor humanity. I have seen 

 the state grow up, and its history is part of my life. The 

 land-marks of its chorography, and the prominent events of 

 its political, social, and industrial progress, mark epochs 

 in my memory. Many of the happiest days of my life 

 have been spent here, and^ here I hope to enjoy whatever 

 blessings the future may have in store for me. If then I 

 fail to do justice in my book to California, the failure will 

 not be for any lack of love of her. Neither will it be for 

 any lack of attention or industry. During the last nine 

 years, I have assiduously collected every thing within my 

 reach relative to the industry, resources, natural history and 

 population of the state. I have looked through all the 

 newspapers published between Crescent City and San Diego, 

 and have examined all the books written about the country, 

 Spanish, 1^'rench and German, as well as English. I have 



