CALIFORNIA. 
157 
the whole of its course by our land party, until it joined the Sacra¬ 
mento : the latter is thought by some to pass through the mountains 
and join Pitt’s river. Pitt’s river is said to take its rise to the northeast 
of the Shaste Mountain, and from the information that I received, ex¬ 
tends as far as Pitt’s Lake, under the forty-second parallel. I have 
reason to doubt whether the length of its course is so great, and believe 
that the Sacramento has its source in the eastern spurs of the Shaste 
Mountain. I have, however, indicated by a dotted line on the map, 
the course Pitt’s river is thought to pursue before it joins the Sacra¬ 
mento. This, if correct, would give the Sacramento, with its branches, 
a course of two hundred miles from the ocean. 
The first branch of any size in descending the Sacramento is that 
called Feather river, w^hich joins it below the Prairie Butes, coming 
from the northeast. This branch takes its rise in the California Moun¬ 
tains, near their northern end, and has a course of about forty miles. 
The American river is a small branch that joins the Sacramento at 
New Helvetia. After receiving this stream, the Sacramento is joined 
by the San Joachim, which courses from the south, and below their 
confluence enters the bay of San Pablo through the Straits of Kaquines, 
thence passing into the bay of San Francisco. 
It is navigable for boats to the distance of one hundred and fifty 
miles, and for vessels as far as New Helvetia. The upper portion of it, 
near the Prairie Butes, overflows its banks, and submerges the whole 
of the Sacramento Valley as far down as the San Joachim. This 
inundation is probably caused by the united effects of the Sacramento 
and the Feather rivers, as there is not in its bed sufficient room to 
discharge so large a quantity of water. This valley will be presently 
spoken of in connexion with its survey. 
The San Joachim does not pass through the Tula Lake, as laid dow T n 
by Coulter ; its sources are in the Californian Range. The Tula Lake 
is called by the Indians, Chintache Lake; it is for the most part sepa¬ 
rated from the channel of the river, but when full joins it. 
There are many small streams that flow through the different valleys, 
and afford partial opportunites for irrigating the land; but there are 
none of them navigable, except the Sacramento. 
Upper California may boast of one of the finest, if not the very best 
harbour in the world, — that of San Francisco, as before described. 
Few are more extensive or could be as readily defended as it; while 
the combined fleets of all the naval powers of Europe might moor in 
it. This is, however, the only really good harbour which this country 
possesses; for the others so called may be frequented only during the 
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