72 RESOURCES OF CALIFORNIA. 



nel from the Golden Gate is a mile wide, twenty-five feet deep 

 at low tide at the shallowest place, and distinctly marked by 

 prominent headlands. The winds are constant, and there are 

 no rocks to endanger navigation. The site of the town is an 

 extensive plain, which comes down very near to deep water, 

 presenting the best natural water front for large vessels on the 

 waters tributary to the Golden Gate, the shore elsewhere be- 

 ing either rocky, bluff, or mud-flat. The town has now more 

 wharves constructed with much less expense than those acces- 

 sible for ships elsewhere. The site is at the head of ocean 

 navigation, and being only sixty miles from Sacramento in a 

 direct line, is in a good position to be the point where the cars 

 and ships should meet in the future, as they must meet. The 

 water in the harbor is brackish, and the teredo cannot live 

 there. The supply of fresh water is abundant and cheap. 



The population in 1870 was 7,391, (less than that of Oakland, 

 Stockton, or San Jose) but in 1872 it cast 2,147 votes, surpass- 

 ing all those places, and ranking next to Sacramento in that 

 respect. 



A great future has been predicted for Yallejo, but the pre- 

 dictions have remained without fulfillment for many years. 

 Forty-seven ships were loaded there with grain for Europe in 

 the twelve months ending June 30th, 1873. Railroads run 

 from the town to Sacramento, Knight's Landing, Woodland, 

 Vacaville, and Calistoga. The town was laid out in 1850 by 

 M. G. Yallejo, for the capital of the State. He owned large 

 tracts of land, then estimated to be worth several millions of 

 dollars. Among his possessions was the Suscol Rancho, and 

 he was induced to believe that if he would lay off a town and 

 make a liberal offer of land and money to the State, the capi- 

 tal would be established there, and increase the value of his 

 land so much that he would profit largely by the affair. The 

 suggestion appeared reasonable, and he adopted it, offering 

 much land and three hundred and seventy thousand dollars in 

 cash for the establishment of the capital at Vallejo the three 



