asked for by the State Geologist been granted, the work would, without 

 having been any serious burden on the people, be now far advanced 

 towards completion. 



With the above brief suggestions, I will proceed to give, first a 

 synopsis of the movements of the different parties which have been in 

 the field during the past two years, and then a concise statement of the 

 present condition of our work, following the order stated above, for the 

 different departments. 



FlELDWORK OF 1866. 



1. Messrs. W. M. Gabb and F. E. Brown commenced January fourth, 

 eighteen hundred and sixty-six, a geological exploration of the southern 

 coast ranges, with the especial purpose of obtaining materials for the 

 palaeontology of the tertiary rocks and to determine the geological 

 position and economical value of the bituminous materials found in Los 

 Angeles, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo Counties. This party 

 reached San Luis Obispo, April eighth, and was joined by Mr. Hoffmann, 

 and both geological and topographical work was carried on from there 

 northward, in the Santa Lucia, Gavilan, and Monte Diablo ranges, until 

 June, when the party returned to San Francisco. 



2. After writing up his notes, Mr. Gabb continued his work nortbward 

 of the Bay of San Francisco, assisted by Mr. Frank Coffee, and they 

 proceeded to make a detailed geological examination of a large portion 

 of Sonoma, Mendocino, and Humboldt Counties, returning to San Fran 

 cisco about the first of November. 



3. A party, consisting of Messrs. C. King* J. T. Gardner, H. 1ST. 

 Bolander, and C. R. Brinley, with two men, left San Francisco, June 

 sixth, to commence the geological and topographical survey of the region 

 adjacent to the Yosemite Valley, so as to connect our work of eighteen 

 hundred and sixty -four, in the High Sierra, with that of Mr. Wackenren- 

 der, commenced in previous years and continued in eighteen hundred 

 and sixty-six and eighteen hundred and sixty-seven. The especial 

 object of this party was the collection of material for a map, on a large 

 scale, for the Yosemite Guide Book, especially authorized by the last 

 Legislature. (The dimensions and scale of this map will be given fur 

 ther on.) This party remained in the field until November first, Mr. 

 King carrying on the geological work, and Mr. Gardner the topograph 

 ical. Both these gentlemen returned to the Eastern States in November, 

 where Mr. Gardner occupied himself until spring, plotting his summer's 

 work. These gentlemen have since been employed by the United States 

 War Department, by special authority of Congress, to make a geological 

 and topographical survey of the region bordering on the Pacific Railroad 

 along the fortieth parallel, in which great work they are still engaged. 



4. Early in August I left San Francisco, having previously been with 

 the parties above mentioned for some time, to make a geographical 

 and geological survey of Plumas County. The party consisted, besides 

 myself, of Mr. Wackenrender, who had charge of the topographical 

 work, assisted during a part of the time by Mr. A. Hartwig, and then 

 by Mr. A. W. Keddie, with two men. The geological portion of the 

 survey I myself had in charge. This party remained in the field as long 

 as the season would permit, nearly finishing the work in Plumas, and at 

 the same time doing a part of Sierra, it having been found advisable to 

 combine these two counties on one map. 



The above were the principal parties in the field during the season of 



