2 
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OE THE COUNTRY. 
These being completed a survey was made through the San Luis Pass, which leads across the 
ridge of the Santa Lucia mountains, from the rancho of Santa Margarita to the mission of San 
Luis Obispo, on the ocean slope of the mountain. The survey was afterwards pushed down to 
the beach at the mouth of Arroyo Grande. 
In the mean time our camp was moved over to San Luis Obispo, and thence to Beebe’s 
rancho, near the Corral de Piedras creek. Thence we moved by the wagon road (via Napoma 
rancho) across the Guadalupe Largo to the mission of Santa Inez, from which point explora¬ 
tions were made connecting the valley of Santa Inez with the Guadalupe Largo by three lines. 
Camp was then moved to the Gaviote Pass, it being the only known practicable wagon route 
through the Santa Inez mountain. This ridge is a decided obstacle, and the only way of 
surmounting or avoiding it is by the Gaviote Pass, which leads directly from Santa Inez mission 
across to the beach, or by turning the mountain and following the shore line by Points Arguello 
and Concepcion. A survey was, therefore, made of the Pass. 
Finding, on completing this survey, that our provisions were becoming exhausted, it was 
determined to continue on to Santa Barbara, and there encamp, replenish our supply, and then 
return with pack mules to make the necessary examinations for determining the practicability 
of the shore route. In this manner a second line was explored from the valley of Santa Inez, 
at the mission La Purissima, around to the mouth of the Gaviote Pass. 
A topographical examination was made at the same time by another party, under Mr. A. H. 
Campbell, across the San Marcus Pass (the bridle path, or pack-route across the Santa Inez 
mountains,) and the sources of the Santa Inez river. 
This examination proved to be one of the most important ones made, by furnishing the hey 
to the whole system of the Coast Range. Mr. Campbell, having paid much attention to the 
geological dynamics of this entire region, soon perceived a relation of parallelism between the 
various geological axes which would subserve valuably to a correct understanding of the 
topography. He accordingly made a careful survey of these axes in the canon of the Rio 
Santa Maria and the Muerto Macho canon, along the base of the Sierra de Napoma and 
Sierra San Rafael, and at other points, and by his survey across San Marcus Pass and to the 
sources of the Santa Inez river was enabled to connect these several serpentine axes throughout 
long distances, and thereby unlock this whole system, and demonstrate the erroneousness of 
classification, both geological and topographical, with reference to these mountains, as proposed 
by W. P. Blake, geologist, and adopted by others. A reference to the accompanying map 
and report of Dr. Antisell will show these parallel axes and the importance of Mr. Campbell’s 
discovery in a geological point of view. 
From Santa Barbara we continued down the coast to the mission of San Buenaventura. 
Ascending the mission valley a few miles, we located a camp and started on a trip across the 
mountain, intending thus to reach the Cuyama plain. In this enterprise we utterly failed, 
notwithstanding three attempts were made. The difficulties of rugged and precipitously 
walled canons, and the deep snows of the summits, forced us to return. Topographical 
examinations were made of the country surrounding our camp. We then moved to the Santa 
Clara valley with the wagons, via San Buenaventura, a party at the same time crossing the 
intervening low ridge. On the parties joining, the valley of the Santa Clara was ascended to 
the rancho of San Francisquito, and camp was located near the road leading from Los 
Angeles to the Tulare valley. At this point a party was organized and started for the Cuyama 
plain, passing through the Canada de las Uvas into the Tulare valley, and thence across the 
