38 THE WEST AMEEICAN SCIENTIST. 



gives the following in his narrative of a journey from La Paz to San Diego overland 

 in 1866-7: 



* Guadaloupe ranch is by far the best rancho in Lower California. It comprises 

 seven leagues of bottom land, with a stream of water running through it. The land 

 is of great fertility and several acres of wheat and barley, already headed out [Apr. 

 17, 1867,] showed that it was excellent grain land. There is here also a large or- 

 chard of various fruits, including peach, plum, apricot, pomegranate, fig, etc., and a 

 fine vineyard. The grass in the uncultivatel parts cf the valley was unsurpassed 

 by anything we saw on the whole journey, below or above. Two leagues beyond 

 we camped under a large spreading live oak by the side of a beautiful stream of 

 water gurgling over its pebbly bed, and enjoyed the luxury of a rousing camp fire.' 



About ten miles below is the San Antonio ranch, near where are the so-called 

 copper mines, of which Gabb says: ' We spent a little while looking at one or two 

 of the copper claims, and saw nothing more than the deceptive copper stains in 

 granite, which have caused so mudi useless expenditure of money in Upper Califor- 

 nia.' These mines have since been worked for copper a id found unprofitable; but 

 with the copper ore there has been an interesting discovery of a new mineral with a 

 beautiful silvery lustre, which has rendered the continued working of the mines 

 possible. This mineral has been described as Antooite, and is used in the manufac- 

 ture of fancy papers. 



From San Antonio to the sea at Sauzal de Comacho (Gabb gives the name as 

 simply Saucal) is six or eight miles along a couple of little canyons, where we first 

 meet with the buckeyes, the willow-leaved manzanitas, a small currant or goose- 

 berry, and other pretty shrubs like the will lilacs, the flowering ash, etc. — all of 

 which were in full bloom when first I visited the bay of Todos Santos, presenting to 

 the eyes of oar little party of botanists a floral feast that was fully appreciated, and 

 on my part never to be forgotten. 



At Sauzal we greet the genial Capt. Center and his son, who own a ranch of 

 some 6000 acres. Here the orange, lemon, apple, pear, peach, apricot, oli.e, banana 

 and many other kinds of fruits may be found — all in healthy condition and doing 

 well, showing what can be done. 



The little town of Encenada — some six miles further along the shores of Todos 

 Santos Bay — contains several stores, another flour mill, an extensive custom house 

 and a few dozen little houses, largely occupied by the soldiers and the Mexican ofl&- 

 cials. Near by is the little field of Parry's pretty rose, rosa minutifolia, the clusters 

 of the cordwood cactus or pitahaya agria as it is called by the Mexicans (an unpub- 

 lished species of cereus), which produces a gummy, resinous substance occasionally 

 used in calking boats, a large cushion cactus, and various other plants which have 

 this bay for their northern limit. 



Beyond are the lands of the new colonization company, where they intend to 

 locate their first settlers — a splendid piece of bottom land, with water near the sur- 

 face and capable of raising many fruits and vegetables The high hills soon close 

 the valley up into a narrow canyon; following this up we go by ' Purgatory ' or Las 

 Animos, where a few English walnut and o^ier trees are in bearing and a nice 



