The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-12-13

about 500 miles square, and saving the region
around the Great Salt Lake In the north east
CT d afew gre en- spots along the TANKS Of the
tern mountains Is bowling desert Of burning sands
bald mountains and Is covered with evidences Of vol
canic action II comprehends FIVE sixths of the terri
tory Of California acquired from Mexico The only
white settlement within it's limits. is the Mormon
lony near the Great Salt Lake. The Great Basin Is
,urroup ded by ntans all sides, and the rivers
which flow into it from the mountains, empty into
lakes the waters Of which evaporated in the sua
substitute for outlet to the sea- the streams
are absorbed by the sands OF the desert as for in
stance, Mary's river, which after course of 800
miles suddenly sinks into the sands, it's water, as
thick and bitter bitumen from the impregnations
Of it's volcanic trail (See the journal of Mr. Bryant
who went out to the Pacific by that routel
The western division Of California lies west Of the
great range the Sierra Nevada and between it and
the Pacific Excepting the Mormons, near the
SAT- LAKE, wnen h IN tne eastern
MIA with which the army navy, and fetlers from the
United States have had anything to- do All the az
counts we have bad # california; from time immemo
rial apply to the slip of country Hanking the Pacific
ocean We now come to the extracts from 1t. Col
Fremont
SIERRA NEVADA
This Sierra Is part OF the great mountain ranger
which, nder drere mt with different eleya-
tons but with much uniformity Of direction and ge
neral proximity to the coast, nds from the pc MIN
tua Of California to Russian America, and without a
Racky mountains could reach the Pacific ocean except
at the two places wehre the Columbia and Frazer's
is remarkable for its length it's proximity and parallel
lam TO the sea coast, It's great elevation, often
yoca mic peaks reachipg high into the region Of per
petual Rising siDgy, like pyramids heayi-
timbered plaeaux, to the height of fourteen
yent.en thousand feet above The sea, these snowy
peaks constitute the characterizng feature OF the
range and distinguish it from the Rocky mountains
and all others on our part of the continent
That part OF this range which trayerses the Alta
California is called the Sierra Nevada, Snowy noun.
tain)- in itself implying great elevation as
it only applied, in Spanish geography to the noun
tains whose submits penetrate the region perpetual
mating one aud must be well understood before the
strusture of the country and the character of its diff
ferent divisions can BIO comprehended 1t divides Ca
forn mia into two parts, and exercises decided inhu-
ence on the climate, soil, and productions of each
Stretching along the coast and at the distance
of $50 miles from it, this great noun tain wall receives
the winds, charged with vapor, which sweep
the Pacific ocean, precipitates their accumu.
lated moisture in fertilizng rains and upon its
western flank end leaves cold and dry winds to pass
to the east Hence the characteristic difference
of the two resons-mdness, fertility, and a tuperb
vegetable kingdom one side; comparative barren.
ness and cold on the other
The two sdes the Sierra exhibit two distinct cli
mates. The state OF vegetation, in connection with
thermome rical observations made during the re-
cent exploring expedition to California will establish
and illustrate this difference. In the begin ming of
December 1885, crossed this Sierra at latitude 80
deg. 17:12, at the present usual emigrant pass ut
the head Of the Salmon Trout river 40 miles north
CT New Hevetia and made observations at each base
and in the fame latitude to determine the respective
temperatures; the two bases being, respectively the
western about 500 and the eastern about 900 feet
above the level Of the sea- and the Pass 200 feet The
results Of the observations we're on the eastern
80 deg; the state Of Vegetation and the appearances
Of the country being at the time Second week
Of December0 that OF confirmed winter; the rivers
frozen over, snow the ridges annual plant, dead
dry and deciduous trees stripped their foliage
At the western base the mean temperature during a
corresponding week was, at sunrise 20 deg and at
sunset 81 deg the state of the atmosphere of
g.ts.on Ina, o. sdvancps sprns grass fresh and
the air SOFT and all the streams free from ice Thus
December, on one side of the mountain, was winters
| on the other 1t was spring.
| MARITIME REGION WEST OF THE SIERRA NEVADA.
West of the Sierra Nevada aud between taat mourn
tai the is she second grand division Of Cali.
forni an the only part to which the applies in
the current language of the country It is the
divided by the mountain wall the Sierra from
the Great Basin above-as to constitute a region to
ITSELF with structure aud con6guraton-s soil, eli
| mate and productions-of its own and as northern
Persia may be referred TO type of the former
may Italy be referred to point Of COMPARE
braces about ten degrees of latitude-from 80 degs
where 1t touches the peninsula Of California, to AZ
the Sierra Nevada to the sea- It will average in
the middle parts, $50 miles in the northern parts 200
| square miles. Looking westward from the summit Of
the Sierra the main feature is the long, low
broad valley Of the Joaquin and Sacramento rivers
tie two valleys forming one-fve hundred miles ng
and fifty broad lying along the base OF the Sierra and
bounded to the west by the low coast range of
tans, which separates 1t from the Long dark
lines Of timber indicate the streams and bright spots
mark the intervening plains Lateral ranges paral-
lei to the Sierra Nevada the coast make the struc
Of the country break it into surface OF val
legs and mountans-the valleys q few hundred and
the mountains four thousand feet above the sea
These form greater and become more elevated
In the north, where some peaks, the Shast enter
the regions Of peIpe tus snow Stretched along the
mild coast Of the Pacific, with general elevation in
its plains vale Of only few feet above
the level OF the backed by the long and lofty
sumsd as the characteristics of its climate kain.
altant Of correponding latitudes on k1.S1c |
Size Of this continent with difhou1 oiVI6f |
the soft air and southern prod ms me !
ATTITUDES in the maritime region Of Upper &c Rnlo
The iipgnlar beauty and purity Of the SIX
south Of this region Is characterized by Hun
arare phent menon, and all travellers realize Z
of his DEF oription.
The prese mt condition Of the country aR
flight data for forming correct opinions OF the
tuisl capacity and fertility Of the soil van1ouver
latitude "a deg. 10 min apples, pears, plums figs,
oranges, grapes, peaches and pomegranites growing
together With the plantain, banana nut sugar
cane. and indigo all yielding fruit in and
Of excellent quality. Humboldt mentions the olive |.
oil Of California equal to that of Andausa and
little remains Of the high and various cultiv
which had been attained at the missions. Uud
mild and paternal administration of the Fat
the eooile character OF the Indians was made av
for labor, and thousands employed in the de 7
me orcbsrds and the vineyards AT present, but 1T
leys ortrgrown with wild mustard vineyards and
olive orchards decsyed and neglected, amo ny the
remaining vestiges only In some places do we see
the evidences OF what the country Is cspsble At
San Buer ntnra found the olive trees in Janu-
~, bending der the weight Of neglected fruit and
tie mission Of San Luis Obispo latitude IS deg ia
stu distinguished for the excellence of its olives con-
sideItd finer and larger than those IF the Medterra
mean.
The productions Of the south differ fron, those of
the north and Of the middle. Grapes, olives Indian
corn, have been It's staples with many assimlated
fruits and grains Tobacco has been rece ty tro-
ducsd ana the uniform summer heat which follows
the wet teason and il uninterrupted BY rain would
make the southern country well adapted to cotton
Wheat Ia the fret product of the north where it al
ways constituted the principal cultivation the
sions. This promises to be the grain growing region
Of California. The moisture Of the coast seems par.
ticularIy suited TO the potato and to vegetables
common to the United States, which grow to an ex-
.l.xa-