CALIFORNIA. 155 



and lakes serve to water it, yet in dry seasons or droughts, not only 

 the crops but the herbage also suffers extremely, and the cattle are 

 deprived of food. 



The Sierra affords little scope for cultivation, being much broken, 

 barren, and sandy. It is in places covered with cedar, pine, and oak ; 

 but it offers few inducements to the settler. The great valley of 

 Buena Ventura next succeeds, which, although it offers more prospects 

 of profitable cultivation, is by all accounts far inferior to that of San 

 Juan. It lies nearly parallel to the latter, and is watered by the San 

 Joachim river and its branches. 



In this valley the Californian Indians principally dwell. The San 

 Joachim receives its waters from the many streams that issue from 

 the Californian range of mountains. These are well wooded, their 

 base being covered with oaks, to which succeeds the red California 

 cedar (Schubertia abertina), and after it, in a still higher region, pines, 

 until the snows are encountered. On the eastern side of this range, 

 there is found very little timber, and in consequence of the want of 

 moisture, trees do not flourish, even on the west side. The inland 

 plain, constituting a large part of Upper California, is, according to all 

 accounts, an arid waste; the few rivers that exist being periodical, 

 and losing themselves in the sandy soil. 



Of the latter portion of country, however, there is little known, and 

 the accounts given of it vary extensively. It has been crossed by 

 seven persons, who differ altogether in respect to its appearance. One 

 declared that the horses and men had not only a scanty supply of 

 water, but were actually nearly famished for want of food ; while 

 others have found both grass and water plentiful. The only thing 

 that can reconcile these contradictory statements is, that these dif- 

 ferent persons had visited the country at different seasons of the year. 

 It seems not at all improbable that the first of these accounts should 

 be the correct one, for we find great aridity throughout the rest of 

 California, and Oregon also. All agree that the middle and extensive 

 portion of this country is destitute of the requisites for supplying the 

 wants of man. 



In climate, California varies as much if not even more than in 

 natural features and soil. On the coast range, it has as high a mean 

 temperature in winter as in summer. The latter is in fact the coldest 

 part of the year, owing to the constant prevalence of the northwest 

 winds, which blow with the regularity of a monsoon, and are exceed- 

 ingly cold, damp, and uncomfortable, rendering fire often necessary 

 for comfort in midsummer. This is, however, but seldom resorted to, 

 and many persons have informed me that they have suffered more 



