246 G. Davidson — Northwestern Coast of America. 



miles outside the general trend of the coast, and the great gulf 

 under it is the present gulf of the Farallones, which is under- 

 stood to embrace the area between point Reyes, the groups of 

 the Farallones, and point San Pedro^ including the Golden Gate 

 to San Francisco baj^, and the anchorage of Drakes bay under 

 the eastern extremity of point Reyes head. 



It is very interesting to note what Ferrelo states about this 

 gulf, because it was evident to his nautical eye that the dis- 

 colored water therein indicated the presence of a great river. 

 As they were near enough the land to be satisfied that no land- 

 ing could be made on account of the large swell, and as they lay 

 particular stress upon the forests, I judge they were beating in 

 the northern part of this gulf to secure an anchorage under the 

 north shore, but failed. 



These discolored waters were brought down by freshets from 

 the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers. They are known to 

 all our vessels, and are particularly marked after great storms. 

 From the summit of point Reyes I have watched them carried 

 by the littoral drift or the Davidson inshore eddy current far 

 to the northward of point Reyes, and they extend well outside 

 of the Farallones. With more favorable conditions of weather 

 such persistent efforts for exploration would have rewarded these 

 men with the discovery of Drakes bay and doubtless the Golden 

 Gate. 



When they had decided that further search was useless they 

 anchored and took possession of the country through the slender 

 hold of their cable. With the depth of forty-five fathoms the 

 vessels must have been either six or seven miles from the south- 

 east Farallon, outside the line thence to point Reyes, or more 

 likely five miles southeastward from the southeast Farallon, and 

 in about latitude 37° *40'. Inside of these depths the plateau of 

 the gulf decreases very gradually and regularly in depth toAvard 

 the shores and toward the bar of the Golden Gate. In the posi- 

 tion southward from the island the correction to Ferrelo's lati- 

 tude is about — 1° 30'. 



It is a rather curious fact that neither narrative refers to the 

 two groups of the Farallones, close to which they must have 

 anchored. The northwest group comprises four principal islets 

 within an area of one mile by a quarter of a mile, and exhibits 

 five or six high rocky peaks, of which the highest is 155 feet- 

 The southeast Farallon has an area of about one mile by three. 



