16 GEOGRAPHY OF CALIFORNIA. 



San Francisco, near the 33th degree of latitude, where it is called the 

 San Bruno Mountains. Between this range and the coast run the 

 Santa Barbara Mountains, terminating in the north at the Cape of 

 Pines, on the south-west side of the Bay. of Monterey, near the latitude 

 of 36J degrees. 



North of the San Bruno Mountains is the Bolbones ridge, bordering 

 the Bay of San Francisco on the east; and still farther in the same 

 direction are other and much higher lines of highlands, stretching from 

 the great chain, and terminating in capes on the Pacific. 



The southernmost of these regions of continental California, between 

 the Pacific and the great westernmost chain of mountains, resembles the 

 adjacent portion of the peninsula in climate ; being very hot and dry, 

 except during a short time in the winter. Farther north, the wet season 

 increases in length, and about the Bay of San Francisco the rains are 

 almost constant from November to April, the earth being moistened dur- 

 ing the remainder of the year by heavy dews and fogs. Snow and ice are 

 sometimes seen in the winter on the shores of this bay, but never farther 

 south, except on the mountain-tops. The whole of California is, however, 

 subject to long droughts ; thus little or no rain fell in any part of the 

 country during 1849 and 1841, in which years the inhabitants were 

 reduced to the greatest distress. 



Among the valleys in this part of California are many streams, some 

 of which discharge large quantities of water in the rainy season; but no 

 river is known to flow through the maritime ridge of mountains from the 

 interior to the Pacific, except perhaps the Sacramento, falling into the 

 Bay of San Francisco, though several are thus represented on the maps. 

 The valleys thus watered afford abundant pasturage for cattle, with which 

 they are covered : California, however, contains but two tracts of country 

 capable of supporting large numbers of inhabitants, which are, that west 

 of Mount San Bernardin, about the 34th degree of latitude, and that sur- 

 rounding the Bay of San Francisco and the lower part of the Sacramento ; 

 and even in these, artificial irrigation would be indispensable to insure 

 success in agriculture. 



The earliest settlements in continental California were made by the 

 Spaniards, in 1769, immediately after the expulsion of the Jesuits from the 

 peninsula. These establishments were at first missionary and military ; 

 the charge of converting the natives being committed to the Franciscans, 

 while forts and garrisons were placed at various points, for the occupation 

 and defence of the country. Towns were subsequently laid out and 

 settled, and farms were cultivated, for the most part by natives, under the 

 direction of the friars and officers. All these establishments declined 

 considerably after the overthrow of the Spanish power, in consequence of 

 want of funds, and the diminution of the authority of the priesthood; but, 

 on the other hand, the commerce of the country has increased, and many 

 vessels, principally from the United States, resort to its ports, bringing 

 manufactured articles, in return for which they receive hides, tallow, 

 and other raw productions. In 1835, the number of missions was twenty- 

 one, and of the towns seven, to which were attached about twenty-three 

 thousand persons, mostly of the pure aboriginal race, and many of mixed 

 breed. Since that time several missions have been abandoned, while the 

 towns have increased in number and population. 



The most southern settlement on the Pacific side of California, and the 



