April 27, 191 I \?> 



western flank towanls the sea is covered l)y laij^e j)iiies. The 

 lower re<4ion cf lliis ranj^e, at the foot of which the mission is 

 built, is thinly covered by the evergreen Californian ( ).ik, a 

 Ceanothns, Cercocarpus, a small leaved shrubby Fraxinus, and 

 Pinus Sabiniana — the latter at the time with ripe cones. An 

 evergreen shrubby Pinnns, called Isla\-, with a holl\-like leaf, 

 bearing a red fruit resembling the cherry-plum, grows also 

 abundantly here. The thin pulp which surrounds the propor- 

 tionate large seed is sweet and pleasant to eat. The kernel after 

 being roasted and made into giuel, is a favorite dish among the 

 Indians. Having ascended the first ridge, we passed through 

 thickets of Arctostaphylos tomentosa and Ceanothus thyrsiflorns, 

 and entered a forest of Pinus Lambertiana. The cones of this 

 noble Pine are always hanging from the points of the branches, 

 were by this time already open, and the seeds had fallen out. 

 From cones that had been blown down I picked out a few seeds. 

 "Descending the western flank of the great mountain range 

 I found at last the long-wished-for Abies bracteata, occupying 

 exclusively ravines. This remarkable Fir attains the height of 

 50 feet, with a stem from 12 to 15 feet in diameter, one-third of 

 which is clear of branches, and the remainder forming an elon- 

 gated tapering pyramid, of which the upper part, for three feet, 

 is productive of cones. Having cut down some trees, I found 

 to my regret that the cones were but half grown, and had been 

 frost-bitten. In more sheltered situations, towards the sea shore, 

 the same happened to be the case; and I was thus precluded all 

 hope of introducing this remarkable Fir into Europe. 



