SOCIETY. 419 



be in full bearing — for about half of its million vines are still 

 less than four years of age. Anaheim has some advantages 

 over Los Angeles, in the regularity of its plan, and perhaps, 

 also, in location (for it is nearer the ocean, and farther from 

 the snoTvy mountains) and in the extent of rich land in its 

 neighborhood, and in its location near the direct line of travel 

 between San Pedro and San Bernardino, the latter being not 

 only an important place for its own trade, but still more for 

 its trade with Salt Lake. On the other hand, Los Angeles 

 has the start, the capital, the houses, the merchants, and all 

 those advantages which an old and prosperous town has over 

 a little upstart of a village, and Anaheim must long, if not 

 always, be a place of inferior importance, as compared with it. 



§ 296. Monterey^ etc. — Monterey, which previous to 1849, 

 was the political capital and commercial centre of the terri- 

 tory, is now one of the least important towns of the state. 

 .Most of the houses are of adobes. The population is about 

 one thousand. 



Sonoma, which was founded in 1823, and was, up to 1850, 

 the most important town north of the bay of San Pablo, 

 has been gradually losing its trade and population ; but the 

 extensive production of wine in which its citizens are now 

 engaged, may bring it up again. The houses are mostly of 

 adobes. The tallest adobe house in the state, containing three 

 high stories, is in Sonoma. It was commenced in 1835, and 

 was never finished. After the walls had been erected, thev 

 were covered by a roof which projected three feet on all sides, 

 and thus the buildinc: has remained. The walls are about 

 three feet thick. The old buildings of the Mission of San 

 Francisco Solano are in a very dilapidated condition. Sonoma 

 is ten miles distant from San Pablo Bay, but the Sonoma 

 Slough is navigable to the Embarcadero, which is only three 

 miles from the town. 



San Diego has a population of about eight hundred. The 

 town once aspired to be the tei minus of a railroad, which was 

 to cross the continent about latitude 32°, but such aspirations 



