422 BESOURCES OF CALIFORNIA. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

 TOPOGRAPHICAL NAMES. 



§ 299. Introductory. — The topographical names of Califor- 

 nia differ much from those of other states in the Union, where 

 there is a disagreeable repetition of familiar names. Our peo- 

 ple have not attempted to immortalize Franklin, Jefferson, 

 Madison, Adams, Henry, Randolph, Clay, Cass, Benton, Web- 

 ster, Taylor, Fillmore, Polk, Pierce, or Buchanan, by affixing 

 their tiresome patronymics to counties or towns. All our 

 prominent places are designated by titles comparatively new 

 to the Enghsh language, and strange to Americans. 



The topographical names of the state are derived from three 

 languages — Spanish, English, and Indian. Most of the names 

 along the southern coast and about the bay of San Francisco — 

 districts which were populated by the Spaniards long before 

 the Americans came to the country — are Spanish. The larger 

 rivers in the Sacramento basin were known to the Spaniard^, 

 and were named by them previous to 1846. The mining dis- 

 tricts of the Sierra Nevada and the Klamath basin, and the 

 coast north of 40°, were first explored and settled by the 

 Americans, and therefore the names are of English origin. 

 The Indian names are numerous. 



§ 300. Sacred Spanish Karnes. — The Spanish names may be 

 divided into the sacred and profane. The first Spanish set- 

 tlers were Catholic missionaries, in whose almanac every day 

 is named after some saint, and in whose faith the saints were 

 but little below divinity. It was customary for them to keep the 

 saints constantly in mind, and when they came to a strange 

 place, to name it after the saint upon whose day they had 



