CHAPTER VI. 
POINT PINOS RANGE AND SIERRA SAN JOSE. 
Great extent of the range.—Different names.—Height.—Mineral structure at point pinos.—Relation of the serpentine to 
THE GRANITE.—GOLD WASHING AT SAN ANTONIO—SANDSTONES AT SAN MIGUEL MISSION.-POSITION OF STRATIFIED BEDS IN SALINAS 
VALLEY SLOPE OF THIS RANGE.-STRUCTURE OF THE CHAIN FROM WEST TO EAST.-STRATA ALONG THE SLOPE IN SANTA MARGARITA 
valley.—Height and direction of the san jose range.—Geological structure of.—Mineral character of the 
granites.—Sedimentary beds of.—Diagram of geological sections.—Thickness of the strata.—Position and character 
of the green conglomerates.—Relation of these to the fossiliferous beds, both of this range and elsewhere in the 
south OF THE state. 
This important chain of the Coast Eange was first encountered in the centre of San Luis 
Obispo county, where it forms the eastern boundary of the Salinas valley, separating the upper 
course of that river from its tributary, the Estrella. The junction of these streams is near the 
Mission San Miguel; the low hills which form the eastern boundary of the Salinas valley at 
this point are made up of the soft, brownish sandstones which, further north, have been also 
found lying at the slopes of G-avilan, whose upper strata contain the dosinia species, of which four 
varieties have been enumerated by Mr. Conrad. In this place these strata slope at an 
unusual angle to the west; and although no primary rock is observed in passing eastward 
across these hills, yet both north and south of the point the granitic rock is considerably 
upraised. If from the Mission a line he drawn in direction southeast, it will accurately cover 
the range until it is merged in the immense primary upheave called San Emilio mountain. 
Projecting a line in a northwest direction, also from the Mission, it traverses the trend of a 
mountain chain which, in its course gives rise to the waters of San .Antonio river, and 
forms a prominent feature of the Coast Eange of Monterey county, and finally terminates in the 
southwest extremity of Monterey bay at Point Pinos. With the short break alluded to as 
lying in the Salinas valley, it is a continuous chain, and might, perhaps, receive a common 
name. By the title of San Jose mountains, that portion between the upper waters of the 
Salinas river and the valley of Panza and Cariso are known. There, it is a chain approximating 
3,000 feet above the sea!, and from 12 to 16 miles in breadth. While we restrict the name of 
San Jose to this southern portion, we shall, both topographically and geographically, look upon 
the whole line from Point Pinos to the head-waters of the Santa Clara and Santa Maria rivers 
as one mountain system extending 250 miles from north to south, throughout the whole of 
which extent it preserves a character remarkably similar. The northern termination at Mon¬ 
terey hay displays the usual character of the axial rock, a felsphatic granite, containing only 
scattered crystals of mica with adularia and epidote, which communicate a greenish tinge to the 
mass. The superficial portions of the rock are soft, the felspar crystals standing out distinctly 
from the paste ; it is of a flesh brown color externally, with a bluish shade on fracture, well 
seen on the south side of the harbor of Monterey, near the steam landing, and thence to Point 
Pinos, upon the low bosses forming which the light-house is built; it is probable that it is due 
to the alkaline nature of the soil, produced by the disintegration of the rock, that the cedar and 
