570 SITUATION OF THE TOWN. Book III. 
form and colour are strewed over the beach. A whale, 
caught not long before our arrival, lay close to the shore, 
and two others had been caught here a few weeks since. 
A whaling company exists here, exclusively fishing on this 
coast ; and another company has been established at this 
place for the purpose of fishing and salting sardines in the 
bay. Some Portuguese, I was told, have introduced this 
branch of industry in California. Herrings are caught 
and salted on the Californian coast more to the north ; and 
the same is the case with the salmon fisheries, and the 
salting of caviar, introduced in California by a native of 
Hamburg. 
On the morning of October 3rd, we entered the Golden 
Gate. Much had I heard of the grand scenery of the Bay 
of San Francisco, and I can only state that reality sur- 
passed my expectations. Steep mountains, covered with 
evergreen shrubs, and reminding much of the character of 
Alpine scenery in the region below the snow-line, but 
above the limit of trees, rise abruptly from the water on 
both sides, so as to impart something of the character of 
a mountain-lake to the bay, while hills of moveable sand, 
occupying some tracts of considerable extent, appear in 
strange contrast with this general tone of the landscape. 
From the water's edge the city rises on the side of several 
hills up to their top, and descends into the little valleys 
between them. Whatever splendid sites of cities other 
parts of the world may have to boast of, in North America 
the palm will never be disputed to San Francisco ; and in 
future times, when architecture will have come up to the 
grand style of nature and the wealth of California, the 
Queen of the Pacific will undoubtedly be mentioned 
among the localities of first reputation for their magnificent 
appearance. 
