VETAT | 
OD ns a ml 
CHAPTER V. 
TEJON TO SAN AMEDIO—CANADA DE LAS UVAS. 
REPORTED EXISTENCE OF SILVER.—ENTRANCE TO THE CANADA DE LAS UVAS.—SANDSTONE STRATA PROBABLY TERTIARY.— 
A 
FILLED WITH FOSSIL SHELLS.—GRANITE AND METAMORPHIC ROCKS.—OAK TREES.—GRIZZLY BEARS.—OPEN VALLEY.—LIME- 
STONE.—DRY LAKE COVERED WITH SALT —GRIZZLY BEAR.—GRANITE AND ERUPTED ROCK.—UPRAISED STRATA OF SAND- 
STONE.—ROUNDED HILLS.—ERUPTED ROCK IN DYKES.—SECTION OF SANDSTONE STRATA.—FossIL STEMS OF PLANTS, SILICI- 
FIED.—RIDGES OF WHITE LIMESTONE AT THE SUMMIT OF THE PASS.—IRON ORE.—TERTIARY STRATA. 
During our stay at the Tejon, I learned that. masses of ore were found in the mountains to 
the southwest, about twenty miles distant. It was supposed to be lead or silver ore, being 
called ** plata ’’ by the Indians, who seemed to think it could be found in immense quantities. 
After the completion of the geological examination of the Tejon, it was arranged that I should 
visit the locality to determine, as far as possible, the nature and value of this mineral. 
September 20.—Through the assistance of Mr. Ridley, who was living in camp in the valley 
at the time of our visit, the services of an Indian guide, named José, were procured, and I 
started, with two men, for the locality. We passed southward, across the slope of the Tejon, 
towards the mountains at the head of the Tulares, intending to pass by the entrance to the 
Cañada de las Uvas—a long and favorable pass through the mountains to the Great Basin. 
We passed, on our way, the cultivated fields of several Indian villages and an adobe house, 
built by an American, but now occupied by Indians. The path from this point leads over 
gently undulating ground and some low, rounded hills, to the level of the Tulare plain; and 
after this is traversed for a short distance, the ascent of a long and gentle slope to the mountains 
is commenced. At the upper part of the slope and at the base of the mountains we found one 
or two Indian huts, occupied by Antonio, one of the chiefs of the Tejon Indians. He received 
us very graciously, conversing in Spanish, and sold us a very fine watermelon, raised upon his 
ground. This place is at the entrance to the Cañada de las Uvas, and is about fifteen miles from 
the Tejon camp. The soil for nearly the whole distance was found to be hard and gravelly, and 
no stones larger than an egg were found until the foot of the mountains was reached. They 
are, however, found of considerable size along the whole course of the Tejon creek, showing the 
former power of floods from the mountains. At the mouth of the Caiiada, where there is also a 
small creek, the boulders were very abundant and of considerable size. Blocks of granite and 
hornblendic slates and gneiss, together with masses of white crystalline limestone, were seen, and 
they indicate that the rocks of the Cañada are similar to those of the Tejon. 
We travelled westward from this point over the upper part of the long slope from the mount- 
ains, keeping as near the foot-hills as possible. "There was but little or no vegetation, and the 
surface was dry and gravelly. Numerous dry gullies or arroyós descend from the ridges, and 
6F 
P QA d cala AS 
