The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1849-01-01

quin, there vast tract of marshy land, and some
hundreds of low Islands in the upper bay, which
are saturated by the tides The usual ebb and flow
a1 TINS place Is about four feet, consequently this
low surface is enriched every year by the sediment
of the vernal freshets, and yields an immense
growth of rushes. These grounds would probably
make the best rice fields in North America The
water OF the tides is either entirely fresh or very
slightly brackish ii may easily be let in upon the
field at food, and drawn of at ebb These Tuiares,
the Californians call them, those thousand isles
and those great rush wastes WILL it lie believed be
the only rice fields on the Pacific coast of the con-
tinent.
The SAcRAMENro.-'T Tho Sacramento il much
larger than tho San Joaquin and its valley con-
tains much greater quantity Of fertile land. The
mouth of this river is little north of that of the
San Joaquin. Indeed these two streams mingle
their waters around considerable island which
lies before the mouth of each. They both enter
the eastern extremity of the Bay of San Francisco,
about seventy miles, from the Pacific. II is two
days hard rowing from the mouth of this river to
the junction of its two principal branches, called
the forks. At the mouth the soil is peaty, and
overlooked by the spring tides. As you advance
higher where the tide has influence, the soil be-
comes substantial, producing roses, arbutus, and
other shrubs, mot luxuriantly well as the wild
oats and rye These grains, resolving themselves
from year to year, produce perpetual food for the
wild animals and Indians. These plains are burn
ed over every year by the Indians; and the conse-
wise have grown into forests, are destroyed, and
the large trees often killed Nevertheless, the oak,
the plane tree, of immense size, the ASH of ex-
celent quality, covered with wild grape vines.
fringe the stream everywhere, and divide the coun-
try into beautiful glades and savannahs which,
when the leaves fading, when the grape hangs
in the greatest profsion the limbs and the deep
red flowers Of autumn dot the grassy fields, and
birds sing their melancholy hymns to the dying
year, give the finest picture that the mind can
pniyA Of a haau fll Wi he atprO f
Sacramento Is very pure. Its banks from the
mouth to the forks are entirely alluvial, deposit
of sand and clay The bottom varies from very
loose mud and quicksand to stiff red clay.
"The forks lie in lat. $50 49, Al" N, and long 90
AZ 81" E. of Yerba Buena,t near the entrance Of
the Bay of San Francisco. The stream is naviga-
bic for small craft to the forks in the dry season;
in the rainy season and during the early part of the
summer, steam vessels of ,hree hundred tons mea-
surement can ascend its eastern branch several
hundred miles further.
:" 1t is difficult to convey by means of words the
exceeding beauty and excellence Of this portion of
the valley Of the Sacramento. To one who has
it all attempts to do SO must appear tame and
uninteresting. may say that the linear distance
from the mouth to the forks is about sixty miles,
and that the river in making that progress mean
ders hundred and fifty that the most part OF
this distance, within the verge of the valley, grows
belt of oak trees about ,hree hundred yards wide,
crowded with Towering vines and wild fruits. and
in.rspersed with the lofty plane and other beautl-
full trees, vsriegating the scene that beyond this
belt, on either side of the river. stand clumnr a
| forests, and the endless seas of grass reac' :" Oh
| to the distant mountains; and that the al away
! mounds of earth on these great saw" 20 are many
known ages ago by the Indians -nnahs putt ur-
these SURPRISING rego and 10 va 70
ar s and , hear reai .ud continue the attempt
WIN not er thereby the conception Of i which
or 90 convey to him, might state that it is an
Zen champaign country, cut the east side of the
nver by numerous beautiful tributaries skirted with
tfmoeF and on the west dotted and striped with
groves and lakes and that this one of the richest
grazing and agricultural districts Of the CALIFORNIA;
during The rainy season, the river rises from eigh
teen to twenty-four feet, and, OVERLOOKING immense
tracts OF prafies, produces succession of beautiful
lakes, through which its floods rush towards the
gun. FROM the upper country are thus brought
Gown great Quantities of rich loan, which are de-
posted upon the lower plains, rendering them as
productive and beautiful as the banks of the Nile.
FROM ten to thirty miles distance from the river the
ano Degins to rise rapidly the open wales creep up
into the heights among the brooks and forests, till
ost IN the wilderness OF white, red and yellow pine,
ana I'VE ana white oak, whose gigantic trunks stud
the mountains to the regions of perpetual frost.
| !hese branches of the Sacramento are strong
dashlng mountain streams. The eastern one rises
among the Sierra Nevada. or Snowy Mountain
range, about three hundred miles east of Cape
Mehnoclno and has southwesterly tortuous course
OF nearly seven hundred miles to the forks This is
the largest branch of the Sacramento 1t is nayi-
gaoe tor small craft, as before observed several
hundred miles during the wet season. and will be
very useful IN floating down the valuable timber of
lts wales and of the mountain side. to less woody
| regions around the bay A beautiful chain of open
streams and rivulets. and skirted by the finest
forests, extends the distance of seventy or eighty
miles up this branch. At this point, in lat. 800 49,
~ are the first rapids. Here the traveller to and
fPnYp e. IL
stream Is here about one hundred and twenty yards
wide, with four feet of water in the channel, and
swift current In the winter and spring, the depth
Of water at this ford is ten or fifteen feet.
" At this place commences the southerly slope of
the Snowy Mountains, and the whole aspect and
character Of the country becomes still more beauli-
fnl and valuable. The soil the hills is admira-
bly, adapted to the growth Of forest trees and the
prairles wind among the wooded elevations and
along the banks Of delightful streams, clothed with
the richest and most varied abundance Of vegeta-
Die productions, crowned with countless blossoms,
and sending out on the air the most grateful per-
fumes And these plains and wooded hills reach
to the Snowy Mountains, where in Int. 400 there is
an easy passage to the valley Of Smith River. This
portion of these mountains lying the track of our
descrlpt, n, deserves especial notice.
spur Of rugged hills puts off here from it, and
runs down eastwardly between these principal
branches of the Sacramento to its forks These
heights are manfesty Of volcanic origin; and Mr.
Kelly suggests that as they abound in basatc and
vitried stones score, etc. they be called the vol
canic range Along their base stretches beauti-
full chain of praries for seventy eighty miles, wa
tered by numerous rivulets In this volcanic ridge
l found stratum of earth which the Mexcans call
tepetate, and which forms cement, when covered
by water or buried so far below the earth to re-
tain moisture 1t is soft to be easily penetra-
ted by an iron bar but it becomes as solid and i'm
penetrabe q rock on being exposed to the sun or
wind. The general aspect OF this range is rude and
black. The minor hills are covered with dark CO.
lored iron stones Of all shapes, with sharp edges
resembling clinkers in the arches of brick kiln;
and with reddish clay and gravel. appearing like
pulverized brick. 1t il the work Of volcanic fires
and may properly bear the name which our worthy
countryman has given it.
The timber trees on this part of the southern
slope, as far northward as 400. a-e worthy of no.
tice. The white pine ]. very abundant and Of