\ 



378 Observations on the Physical Geography 



approximate parallelism to a range seven hundred miles distant is 

 to be expected, it is interesting to observe that the Oregon por- 

 tion, having the north and south course, has, according to the 

 best maps, a parallel representative in the Rocky range; and if 

 the map is held so that the coast and mountains have a horizontal 

 position, the parallelism will appear somewhat striking; — the 

 north and south line in the mountains beginning as it shoald 

 about 4° north o£ its commencement on the coast. 



South, toward Panama, the trend of the mountains and coast 



becomes more westerly, bending around to N. 62° W. 



To the south of the straits of I)e Fuca, the outline of the coast 

 is but little varied by bays. The only great indentation is made by 

 the California!) gulf. This gulf, (the sea of Cortes, and Vermilion 

 sea of the early Spaniards,*) sets into the land abruptly between 

 2(P and 23° N., and then pursues a northwesterly course, parallel 

 with the coast to 32° 20', just inside of a range of mountains, ma- 

 king a total length of seven hundred miles, with an average 

 breadth of one hundred miles. North of the Californian Peninsula 

 lies the bay of San Diego, a good land-locked harbor four or 

 five miles long, considered by Emory to be among the best re- 

 treats for shipping on the coast. Monterey farther north near 

 latitude 36° 3& is an open roadstead. The bay of Franciscof 

 in latitude 37° 48' ranks next m size to the Californian gulf. I* 



* This gulf was discovered by a vc I detached from the Expedition of Cortes in 

 1533, and Ximenea the comi kder was murdered Boon after. Hernando de Grix- 

 alva entered it in 1534, and Cortes in 153G. The Colorado was first discovered by 

 Padre Francisco Kino in 1700. Until the middle of the 17th century, the peninsula 

 was supposed to be detached from the main land, and called Mas Carolina*. It 

 was shown to be a peninsula by Francisco de Ulloa in 1699, and also by Eusebius 

 Kino in 1701. The country adjoining the gulf on the east was the Nueva GalHcia 

 of the Spaniards, including the subdivisions, (commencing on the south,) Xalisco, Chia- 

 metta, Couliacan, and Cinoloa, together with Guadelajara, Zacatoras, and Cibola, be- 

 yond in the interior; the last mentioned lying a little to the north of east of the 

 ne I of the gulf. It is sail of Cibola, that it yielded cotton wool, "by reason 

 whereof the men and women wear better apparel for the most part than elsewhere." 

 The Pijmos and Maricopoa tribes of the same region, on the Gila, visited by Emory, 



cultivate cotton. Some ruins of buildings in that territory are attributed by E. G. 



fequier on apparently good evidence, to the early Ciholans. 



t r «s bay is suppoxd to have been first entered by Sir Francis Drake in 1578. 

 He surveyed this coast up as far as latitude 48°, and called it New Albion, from see- 

 ing white chtl, near Point (Pnnta) de los Reyes, a few miles northeast of Francisco. 

 June 17, he entered what he describes as a large bay and remained there for some 

 time; and as this is the only place on the coast which at all answers to his descrip- 

 tion, or could have afforded him good aiu-h. for the time he was there, it has 

 been supposed that he en I in his determination of its latitude, which he places m 



38° 30', inste 1 of 81° 48'. The bay *u discovered again in 1595 by a Spanish 

 ship called San Auguatin. N ■ bastian Vizcaino surveyed the coast in 1603, and discover- 

 ed the harbor oi Sao Die ». The coast from 40°' to 44 u was first explored hy Juan 

 Cobnllo, in 1642, and Cape Mendocino was named by him to honor of Don Antonio 



de Mendoc;,. then viceroy of Ne* Spain. He failed of discovering the Cotamm* 



river, which was not entered till 17'. by Captain Robert Gray of this country, m 

 the ship Colombia. 



The town of Francisco is south of the neck that forms the entrance to the b&y> 

 about four miles from the sea. 



