412 
SCENES IN THE PACIFIC. 
waiian, and other Islands of the Pacific, as well as the whole 
western coast of America, indicate the Californias as the seat 
of the ruling maritime power of that half of the world. 
But there are other reasons for this opinion. A canal can 
easily be cut from the head of steamboat navigation on the 
San Joaquim to the head waters of the Gulf of California. 
This, for warlike and commercial purposes, would be invalua¬ 
ble. 
Another circumstance, however, is of more value than any 
I have named in forming an estimate of the undeveloped 
greatness of this charming country. It is the intellectual and 
physical might of the people who are to inhabit it. 
In order to indicate what race this is to be, we need only 
refer to the facts, that the navigable waters of the Missouri 
River are within six hundred miles of Puget’s Sound : that a 
railroad of that length will send the commerce of the Indies, 
China, and the Californias into the Mississippi valley, and send 
the inhabitants of that valley to the Californias; and that 
Nature herself has connected that country with the States by 
an excellent natural road. 
This route h orn the San Joaquim to the plains of the Mis¬ 
souri is not only feasible but easy. A Mr. Yunt, from Frank¬ 
lin, in the State of Missouri, and now a resident of Upper 
California, travelled from the Great Salt Lake to Monterey 
with loaded mules in thirty days. From this lake to the navi¬ 
gable waters of the San Joaquim is not more than three hun¬ 
dred and fifty miles, with plen f y of wood, water and grass the 
whole distance. The high range of mountains between the 
San Joaquim and Mary’s river can be passed in six hours. 
There is a low gap, pathway leading through it. The route 
from this gap leads up Mary’s river to the forks; thence up 
the east fork, and over the plains, to the Pont Neuf branch of 
the Saptin; thence through a gap in the mountains to Big 
Bear river at the Soda Springs ; thence up Bear river and 
over the plains to the Rendezvous on the Sheetskadee ; thence 
over the plains to the Sweetwater branch of the north fork of 
