CHAPTER III. 
FORT MILLER AND THE VICINITY-FORT MILLER TO OCOYA CREEK, 
Granitic hills.—View of the vallet of the san joaquin.—Diurnal rise and fall of the water.—Temperature.— 
Salmon.—Terraces —Gold.—Granite.—Lava-plain.—Nature of the rock.—Minerals in parallel planes.—strata 
OF VOLCANIC MATERIALS UNDER THE BASALT. ORIGIN OF THE LAVA. VALLEYS OF EROSION. ANCIENT RIVERS AND 
WATER-FALLS. INDIANS. MlLLERTON. CLIMATE. FORT MILLER TO KING’S RIVER. FORT MILLER TO DRY CREEK. TER¬ 
RACE. —King’s river.—Sierra Nevada.—Sharp slate ridges transverse to the sierra. — Outline view.—King’s 
RIVER TO THE FOUR CREEKS.-ALLUVIAL CLAY -FOUR CREEKS.-LUXURIANT VEGETATION.-IRRIGATION.-LoS T MOUN¬ 
TAINS. —Metamorphic rocks.—Quartz rocks.—Effects of the snow-peaks of the sierra on the climate.—Four 
creeks to moore’s creek.—Carbonate of magnesia.—Moore’s creek to white creek.—Auriferous rocks.— 
Trap.—White creek to pose or ocoya creek—Tertiary formation at the base of the sierra Nevada. 
and a short distance above the tort they rise abruptly from the stream, leaving only a nar¬ 
row “bench” or level area at their base. At the fort, this terrace or plain attains a considerable 
width, and several miles below opens out upon the broad plains of the San Joaquin. 
On arriving at Fort Miller, a settlement and military post on the left hank of the San Joa¬ 
quin, we encamped for several days, and thus an opportunity was presented for the examination 
of the geology of the immediate vicinity. The river flows in a deep winding valley, between 
high granitic hills, partly wooded with oaks and pines. The slopes of these hills are very steep ; 
