SUBMARINE RANGES—CHARACTERISTIC FOSSILS. 
29 
to some extent prove this supposition, although, had they been made with that' special object 
in view, the question might be settled. 
The soundings show that, commencing at a point twenty miles west of Point Concepcion, and 
sailing in a southeast direction—S. 46° E.—a high ridge of land stretches along the sea bottom 
with deeper waters on each side ; this direction would include in its transit the islands Santa 
Rosa and San Nicolas. Between Santa Rosa and Concepcion the crest lies sixty fathoms below 
water’s edge ; between Santa Rosa and San Nicolas the crest lies from eighty to sixty fathoms 
deep ; the lead brings up yellow marl, sand, and mud. Along this line the water deepens in 
places to 100 fathoms, and to others no bottom at 105 fathoms. Santa Cruz is another island 
lying directly east of Santa Rosa ; projecting a line in the same southeast direction, the island 
of San Clemente is covered. This island is an oblong shape, and lies in the direction of this 
projected line, while Santa Cruz is an island lying transversely with two mountain elevations, 
one on either end of the island, which is of a crescentic shape ; the western limb is that which 
is connected with San Clemente by a uniform line of soundings ninety fathoms deep ; the 
eastern limb is connected with a depth from eighty to ninety fathoms. East of this line lies the 
island of Santa Catalina. The waters between San Clemente and San Nicolas deepen consider¬ 
ably, so that even at 120 fathoms no bottom is reached. Even this happens west of San Clemente, 
showing that the land there has the same peculiarity of some of the Coast Ranges, namely, 
presenting bluff sides to the west, with more elevated valleys eastward ; from this it is evident 
that there runs certainly two parallel ridges beneath the sea of Santa Barbara channel, which 
include in their line four of the islands ; and there is little doubt that were a series of soundings 
instituted for the express purpose of determining the exact trend of the submarine ridges, that 
a third ridge would he found still more eastward, which would include the island of Santa 
Catalina. 
To the west of all these ridges, and southwest of San Clemente, lies the Cortez shoal, a few 
years since a submarine volcano with fifty fathoms of water superincumbent; from this a line 
of sounding carried eastward to San Diego gives a continued average of seventy fathoms water. 
This appears to require a revision of soundings, for nothing short of a continuous coral reef 
could afford such figures ; and while the general conclusion implies an elevated plateau stretch¬ 
ing under water- along the base of the peninsula of California, somewhat like the Los Angeles 
and San Bernardino plains to the northeast, yet it is difficult to understand how a line directly 
west from shore, in such a disturbed region, could give an even line of soundings. 
It is worthy of note that the fossiliferous beds of the country examined are connected together 
by the presence of similar species; so that no one bed in any locality is without possessing at 
least one species common to another. 
Thus the Estrella fossiliferous beds are connected with those of Santa Margarita by Ostrea 
Titan , Cyclas permacra, and Balanus Estrellanus. The latter fossil connects these two beds 
with the upper layers of Santa Inez. The Natica lnezana connects the Santa Inez and the 
Sierra Monica, and the Pecten deserti is common to the latter hills, and those at Carizo above 
Panza. San Rafael is connected to Santa Inez by Pecten Meehii, and by Balanus to the Inez, 
Panza, and Margarita fossils. JDosinia is found in the strata below the Panza and Margarita 
fossils, and Area always above them. 
Einnites appear peculiar to Santa Margarita, Pallium to Estrella, and Pachyderma to Santa 
Inez. 
There is no doubt that, when this interesting region of California shall have been better 
