334 
California  Manna. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
July.  1897.; 
Father  Picolo's  range  of  observation  never  extended  north  of 
Lower  California,  and,  on  the  other  hand,  the  information  we  have 
of  this  California  (which  is  really  a  part  of  Mexico)  is  rather  scant. 
The  following  publications  present  two  sources  of  information  on 
Lower  California  : 
First :  J.  Ross  Browne,  Resources  of  States  and  Territories  West 
of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  New  York,  1869,  with  an  appendix, p.  630,  on 
Lower  California,  and  with  an  historical  addition,  a  Sketch  of  the  Settle- 
ment and  Exploration  of  Lower  California,  by  Alex.  S.  Taylor. 
The  Description  of  Lower  California  by  J.  Ross  Browne,  contains 
the  following  passage  : 
Page  637,  "  Fields  of  sugar  cane  are  too  common  to  excite  remark, 
and  the  manufacture  of  sugar  is  one  of  the  most  important  interests 
of  the  southern  part  of  the  peninsula.  *  *  *  The  cane  fields  extend  as 
far  as  the  eye  can  reach  from  San  Jose."  (This  place  is  situated  at 
the  extreme  southern  coast.)  "  Sugar  mills  in  Comondu  *  *  *  sugar 
exported  in  Purisima."  This  does  not  refer  to  the  manna  under  dis- 
cussion, and  it  will  be  mentioned  later  that  this  sugar  cane  is  not 
indigenous,  but  was  imported  by  later  settlers. 
Second:  Encyclopedia  Britannica,  ninth  ed.  On  California; 
makes  mention  of  Lower  California  also,  introducing  it  as  follows : 
"  The  interior  of  Lower  California  is  chiefly  known  to  us  as  to  its 
physical  and  geological  structure,  from  a  reconnoissance  made  by 
Messrs.  Gabb  and  Loehr  of  the  State  Geological  Survey  of  California, 
in  1867.  "  This  exploration  was  set  on  foot  in  order  that  some 
information  might  be  obtained  relative  to  the  value  of  a  concession 
made  by  the  Mexican  Government  to  an  American  company.  This 
grant  was  expected  to  lead  to  a  settlement  of  the  country,  but  the 
whole  thing  turned  out  a  failure." 
The  work  referred  to,  The  State  Geological  Survey  of  California  in 
1867  i-n  charge  of  Messrs.  Gabb  and  Loehr,  is  unfortunately  not  at  our 
command,  and  may  possibly  name  that  "  reed  "  which  yielded  sugar, 
as  observed  by  Father  Picolo. 
However,  the  first-named  book,  by  J.  Ross  Browne,  in  its  second 
part,  A  Sketch  of  the  Settlement  and  Exploration  of  Lower  California, 
by  Alex.  S.  Taylor,  that  appeared  in  1869,  makes  mention  of  the 
exploration  of  Lower  California  that  had  taken  place  in  1 867  by 
Messrs.  Gabb  and  Loehr,  under  the  direction  of  Mr.  J.  Ross  Browne, 
the  results  of  which,  however,  were  not  then  published. 
