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DIRECTION AND AXIAL ROCKS OF THE RANGES. 
Group 2.—San Emilio, San Jose, Point Pinos. These three series of mountains lie in the 
same direction and have the same mineral character. Very lofty in the south, where they give 
rise to the Santa Maria river ; they form the eastern boundary of its valley, assist in giving 
rise to the west fork of the Salinas from the eastern boundary of Santa Margarita valley. South 
of the mission San Miguel they lie on the west side of the Salinas, where, as the Point Pinos 
mountains, the northern termination occurs at Monterey Bay. The course of the whole chain 
is about north 47° west. Granite, with epidote, adularia, and a serpentine paste intermingled 
with flesh-colored felspar. 
Division 2,— Serpentine and Trachyte. 
Group 3.- Santa Lucia range, the longest and most elevated chain possessing this mineral 
character, may he traced from the head waters of the San Buenaventura river to Punto Gordo, 
on the coast of Monterey county. Through a great portion of its extent it forms the west 
boundary of the valley of the Santa Maria river, separates Santa Margarita and San Luis 
Obispo valleys, and is lost by running into the ocean further north at Punto Gordo. Direction, 
north 46° west. Serpentine, trap, amygdaloid, trachyte. 
Group 4.—The buttes of San Luis valley, San Kafael hills, near Mission creek ; the Sierra 
at Carpenteria, and the protrusions at Bincon, on Santa Barbara shore, are points all in one 
line, north 48° west. Serpentine, trachytic lava. 
Group 5.—-Another series of buttes and low hills, extending from Corral de Piedras, San 
Luis county, by mouth of Arroyo Grande, near Napoma ranche, and the range at the head of 
Guadalupe Largo. Further south, the volcanic rock may he traced into the Saint Inez range, 
above San Marcus, and runs into the sea four miles south of the town of Santa Barbara. Di¬ 
rection, north 47° west. Trachytic porphyry, amygdaloid, trachyte. 
Group 6.—First seen near Camp 19, then at head of rancho de los Alamos, and at San 
Marcus pass, where it runs towards the pueblo of Santa Barbara. This is one of the least 
clearly marked ranges ; direction, north 47° west. Serpentine, trachytic, lava. 
Group 7.—Punto Sal, Ranche Todos Santos, Alamos hills, Camps 21 and 24, on Arroyo 
Hondo, near Ortegas ranche. Direction, north 48° west. Serpentine, talcose clays. 
Group 8.-—An indistinct line of force observed west of Sal si Puedes ranche, at mouth of 
Saint Inez river, and lying seven miles east of Point Concepcion. 
On the geological map of the State, annexed to this report, these lines of volcanic force are 
indicated by black lines, with the numbers appended. 
It may he affirmed truly of the above ranges that they show a diminished intensity of 
elevating power as the list is passed downwards. This is certainly the case with the serpentine 
and trachyte ranges : No. 3 is both the longest and the loftiest, and No. 8 the shortest and the 
lowest. The trachytes abound more in the western and short ranges. Almost all of these 
outpourings of volcanic rock may he traced to the edge of the ocean ; were the lines of force 
prolonged under water in the same direction, it would be found that some of them would pass 
through the islands lying off Santa Barbara shore. Thus 8, if prolonged, would run into 
Santa Cruz island; both 3 and 4 into Catalina; and either 5 or 6 (perhaps both) into San 
Clemente. It no doubt is along some of these lines that the bitumen escapes beneath the 
ocean, both inside and outside of these islands ; and it may not be unreasonable to suppose that 
the activity of these forces led to the elevation of the islands themselves. An examination of 
the soundings which have been made, by orders of the Coast Survey, along the California shores 
