72 
GEOLOGY. 
had progressed for a few miles down the valley in the sandstone formation, we saw droves of 
cattle feeding at a distance, which probably belonged to the rancho. As soon as we found water 
in the bed of the creek (which was dry for a long distance in the lower part of the pass) we 
ncamped and found plenty of good grass for the animals. 
The sandstone strata along the hank of the stream were in some places inclined at an angle of 
nearly twenty degrees, hut below camp they were nearly horizontal, and the elevation of the 
exposure above the stream appeared to diminish towards the lower parts of the valley. 
The next day (29th October) we passed over the extensive plain of the rancho nearly to the 
house on the Santa Clara river. We wound about for several miles among groves of oaks and 
cotton-wood trees, and saw numerous large herds of cattle attended by vaqueros. Cottonwood 
appeared to he the principal timber, and the evergreen oak ( Q. agrifolia ) was observed on the 
low hills of the vicinity. 
We soon reached the trail that leads from Los Angeles, by San Fernando Mission, to this rancho, 
and thence by the Pass of San Francisquito to the Great Basin. This is the route taken by the 
emigration to the Tulare valley and the southern mines along the San Joaquin. When we 
reached this trail a large drove of cattle was passing, and they were on their way to the Tulare 
valley through the Great Basin and the Tejon Pass. It required great exertion on the part of 
the vaqueros in charge of the cattle belonging to the rancho to prevent them from joining the 
drove and moving off with them. Where there are no fences, as on these great ranchos, it 
must he exceedingly annoying and expensive to he constantly on the watch in order to prevent 
the mingling of the herds. 
Santa Clara river .—This stream, at the place where the road crosses it, flows in a broad hut 
shallow bed, depressed about twenty feet below the general level of the plain. The vertical 
hanks are seen to consist of horizontal, alluvial strata of sand and clay, very similar in their ap¬ 
pearance to those of the hanks of the San Joaquin and King’s river. This alluvial formation 
forms a narrow belt along the river, and is so limited in extent that it has not been represented 
by a separate color on the map. 
After crossing this stream, our course was changed at an acute angle towards the southeast, 
in order to reach the San Fernando Pass. Our road lay for nearly four miles over a level plain, 
which was intersected in every direction by dusty trails made by the numerous herds of cattle. 
They presented a curious appearance, extending in nearly straight lines over the broad area. 
Owing to the absence of a well marked wagon-road, and the confusion caused by these trails, 
we kept too far west, and, at night, reached low hills of sandstone, and were obliged to encamp 
without water, except a little that was skimmed from the surface of cattle tracks in a muddy 
spring near by. While two of the party were engaged in collecting this water, two hears made 
their appearance in search of their evening drink. 
Hills of sandstone .—The sandstone hills at our camp were the foot-hills of a long range that 
appeared to extend in a nearly east and west direction. The strata were inclined at various 
angles, the dip at ono place being 25°, and at another 30°, towards the north. They were com¬ 
posed of gravel and sand, forming conglomerates, and of compact sandstone. Numerous boulders, 
of a compact, hard, greenish sandstone, were found in the bed of the stream; and they were, 
doubtless, derived from the higher hills beyond us. No fossils were observed. 
