352 
SCENES IN THE PACIFIC. 
by American emigrants on the Bay of San Francisco called 
Yerba Bueno, and another on the waters of the Sacramento, 
by a Swiss gentleman named Suter. 
The Villas are towns of somewhat less dignity than the 
Pueblos. The principal of these is situated on the north side 
of Monterey Bay, near the Mission Santa Cruz. It is called 
Branciforte. There are several others growing up in various 
parts of the country, which are yet too small and unimportant 
to be noticed. 
Hareors. —The seaward coast of the Californias, extending 
through twenty degrees of Latitude, has only two good harbors. 
There are indeed very many roadsteads and bays, where vessels 
anchor with considerable safety, and take in and discharge 
cargoes ; but they are all exposed to some of the prevailing 
winds. The only well-protected harbor is San Diego, lying 
in Latitude 33° 17' N. This is land-locked—without surf, 
with a smooth hard sand beach, and free from rocks and 
stones. But it is much less in extent—and far less valuable 
to commerce than the Bay of San Francisco. 
The Bay of San Francisco is the glory of the Western 
world. Its mouth lies in Latitude 37° 58'. The water on 
the bar is eight .fathoms at low tide. The mountains on 
either hand rise several hundred feet above the sea, and form 
fine land-marks in foggy weather to point out the bar, and 
the channel into the harbor. The capes at the ocean’s edge 
are about two miles apart; always verdant and refreshing to 
the eye; and, as you go up the passage, the little streams 
tumbling from the rocks among the greenwood, and the wild 
game, standing out on the cliffs, or frolicking among the 
brush, and the seal barking in the water, give promise of 
pleasure and rest from the toils of the sea. 
This passage is about five miles in length. Four and a 
half miles from the capes it narrows considerably, and pre¬ 
sents a bold point north and south. On the southern one 
stands the Presido or fort, on which this mighty harbor con¬ 
descends to depend for protection. The fort is in ruins. A 
