382 Adventures in Scenery 



and synclines, the source of the oil in the Sargent oil field. 

 West of Sargent, beyond the oil field, Franciscan rocks (mostly 

 granitic) form the higher portion of the Santa Cruz Range. 

 The Diablo Range, on the northeast, separates the Santa Clara 

 Valley from San Joaquin Valley. The Santa Clara Valley ex- 

 tends from San Francisco Bay southeast for a distance of nearly 

 100 miles (Chap. V) , one of the most productive fruit-growing 

 regions in the world. 



Low Divide in Santa Clara Valley 



About two miles north of Madrone where the Santa Clara 

 Valley narrows is the divide between Pajaro River and Coyote 

 River, the former draining to Monterey Bay and the latter to 

 San Francisco Bay. The divide will scarcely be noticed in the 

 flat alluvial plain (if driving 70 miles an hour). Close obser- 

 vation reveals the conical form of an alluvial cone or fan. This 

 deposit was made by Coyote River (probably in Glacial time) 

 when the land was higher than now, and the river probably 

 shifted its course over the fan from south (Monterey Bay) to 

 north to San Francisco Bay. 



Six miles southwest of Coyote, in the hills composed of 

 ancient Franciscan rocks, is a quicksilver mine which is said to 

 have produced more of this metal than any other mine in the 

 United States. 



San Jose on Broad Plain of Santa 

 Clara Valley 



San Jose is on the broad fertile plain of the lower Santa 

 Clara Valley, 1 1 miles southeast of the head of San Francisco 

 Bay. Well-kept orchards of fruit trees and vineyards sur- 

 round. Lick Observatory, elevation 4,209 feet, may be seen 

 from the highway three miles west of Coyote, or may be 

 reached from San Jose. 



Palo Alto, 441 miles (El. 58 feet) ; Belmont, 449 miles (El. 

 30 feet); San Mateo, 452 miles (El. 19 feet); Millbrae, 457 

 miles (El. 8 feet) ; San Francisco, 461 miles (El. 11 feet). 



