TOPOGEATHICAT, — THE SIERRA NEVADA. 



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Mount Brewer, on the north slopes of which grand peak one of the main 

 branches of the King's heads. The lower region between the Kern and 

 King's rivers is drained by the Kaweah. The respective areas of catchment 

 of these rivers are as follows: Kern River, 2,382; King's River, 1,853; Kaweah 

 River, 608 square miles. The Kern drains the largest area of any stream 

 flowing down the western slope of the Sierra, excepting the Feather. The 

 San Joaquin has an area of catchment of 1,630 square miles. It has one 

 main branch, — the South Fork, — which runs for fifty miles parallel with 

 the range, or towards the northwest, heading on the flanks of Mount God- 

 dard. Smaller branches, running in a southeasterly direction, head on the 

 slopes of Mount Lyell and the cross range which runs transversely from 

 that nodal point to the secondary parallel range which is called the Mount 

 Clark or Obelisk Range. The Chowchilla and Fresno Rivers lie between 

 the San Joaquin and the Merced; but they do not head up as far as the 

 main crest of the Sierra, being lapped around on the north and south by the 

 two last mentioned rivers. The areas of catchment of these streams are, for 

 the Fresno, 258, and the Chowchilla 303 square miles. 



Of the high region drained by the Kern and the South Fork of the San 

 Joaquin and the intermediate rivers already mentioned, there has been only 

 a hasty reconnoissance made by the Geological Survey. Before that had 

 been done, in 1864, that portion of the Sierra Nevada was a terra incognita. 

 It embraces the grandest and most picturesque portion of the range ; but 

 not being a mining region has had but little attention bestowed upon it by 

 the people of the State. 



The Middle High Sierra, as we may call the region which lies about the 

 head of the Merced and Tuolumne Rivers, is much better known than the 

 loftier and less accessible region to the south. It is high and grand, and 



flinch visited on account of its containing the far-famed Yosemite Valley, 

 through which the Merced River runs, while Mount Dana and the High 

 Sierra about the head of Tuolumne, being very easily reached from the 

 Yosemite, the head-waters of that river are also well known, and the whole 

 °f this region has been pretty accurately mapped by the Geological Survey* 

 Jhe respective areas of catchment of these rivers are : Merced, 1,072; Tuo- 

 lumne, 1,513 square miles. The crest of the Sitvrra at the heads of these 

 rivers is considerably broken into small groups of peaks, as will be seen from 



See "Map of that portion of tlie Sierra adjacent to the Yosemite Valley," in the Yosemite Guide- 

 Book, 



