TOPOGRAPHY. 5 



venient harbor there has been abandoned, at least for the 

 present generation. 



5. Coast Lakes. The only large lake in the Coast dis- 

 trict is Clear Lake, eighty miles northward from San Fran- 

 cisco. It is twenty miles long, and varies in breadtk from 

 two to ten miles. Surrounded by a small valley of fertile 

 land, it lies in a deep basin bounded by high mountains, with 

 an outlet to the eastward, where its surplus waters are carried 

 off by Cache Creek to the Sacramento. The water of Clear 

 Lake is limpid ; the vegetation on its banks abundant and vig- 

 orous ; the scenery beautiful and romantic. In Amador Val- 

 ley, twenty-five miles eastward from San Francisco, there is a 

 small lake, covering a couple of hundred acres, and Soap 

 lake, of about equal size, in Pajaro Valley. Lake Elizabeth, 

 forty-five miles northward from Los Angeles, and Alamo Lake, 

 in San Diego County, occasionally dry up, and then, after wet 

 winters, reappear. 



6. Gapes. California has two capes : Cape Mendocino, 

 in 40 25'; and Point Argiiello, in 34 25'. The former is 

 reputed to be the stormiest place on our coast ; the latter is 

 the southern limit of the frequent cold fogs and cool sum- 

 mers. Near Point Arguello, but less prominent, is Point Con- 

 ception, which, however, is frequently mentioned as the main 

 cape at the bend of the State. 



7. Islands. About forty miles westward from San Fran- 

 cisco are the Farallones, seven little islands of bare rock, the 

 largest with an extent of a couple of acres, and of no signifi- 

 cance save as a danger to shipping, and as a point where a 

 large lighthouse is maintained. All the other islands of Cali- 

 fornia are between 32 50' and 34 10', the farthest one being 

 about sixty miles from the mainland. They are named Santa 

 Cruz, Santa Catalina, San Clemente, Santa Rosa, San Nico- 

 las, Anacapa, and Santa Barbara. They are all hilly, rocky, 

 barren, and of little value. Santa Cruz, the largest and best 

 of them, has good water and a few trees. It is twenty-one 



