OsciUdtioiia uf the Californid Coast. — Fairljd/ikn. " 231 
dreds of feet deep it seems that the explanation can be soiig-ht 
only in a comparatively recent elevation of the coast. It must 
be borne in mind however that opposite tiie months of some 
of the larger streams no submarine valleys have yet been found. 
This fact might be accounted for by unusual local conditions 
during the epeirogenic movements. The soundings in places 
are also far from complete. A study of the nature of the bot- 
tom does not help us much. According to the charts sand ex- 
tends down 40 to 75 fathoms. Rocky bottom is rarely found. 
Beginning at the south ] will mention briefly the important 
submarine vallej's which the contour lines upon the chnrts 
show. A number of these valleys occur along the coast of 
Lower California, but will not be taken up. Tlie first deep 
valley running in close to the shore is found at La Jolla, 
about 15 miles north of San Diego. It heads in a little bay 
just north of the town and opens out northwestward. The 
bay is bordered on the south by Chico sandstone, and on the 
north by the Tejon, while at its head there is a sandy beacii 
one mile in length. Back of this lies a small valley extending 
into the Soledad hill, two miles distant. The mouth of the 
vallej'^ at least has been cut out on the northern limb of an an- 
ticlinal arch. No bedrock is exposed along the sandy stretch 
nor in the valle}^ which gradually narrows toward the hills. 
The contour lines of the submerged valley sweep into the bay 
directl}'^ opposite the land valley, the 100 fathom curve being 
less than one mile out. The submarine valley is deep and nar- 
row, extending down below the 300 fathom contour six to sev- 
en miles from shore. There must assuredly be some connect- 
ion between this eroded land valley and what is apparently 
its prolongation beneath the sea. The evidence is conclusive 
that where the strip of beach occurs the land valley has at 
some time been eroded deeper than it is now and subsequently 
filled in. There is every reason to believe that the two val- 
leys are really one and that the submarine prolongatioii was 
excavated by the same means as that on the land. The per- 
iod of excavation is not indicated by anything observed here. 
Follo\i^ing the coast northward no important trench appears 
until Newport is reached. Here opposite the mouth of the 
Santa Ana river is a narrow valley, not however extending be- 
low the 100 fathom contour. Tlu; country is low and marshy 
