San Andreas independent., 1857-10-10

III 'e'Su Oh Menes, one Of the Moparcbs of
moupt,; ~ ran along the Lybian chain Of
Eg1nt mat IS, one side of the valley of
off, aou Ia order to render it equally ben
thro'.I " uotn sides, new channel was formed
MO- d;, .Ae centre of the valley, into which il
cbieen o'Iu :; Egyptian husbandry now consists
,pata. - naVlhg proper machines for raising
tr,hn,o "uu canals Judiciously disposed to dis
onoa ~ - over Their fields. The great import
;nas =. agriculture In furnishing food to man.
y;Sa glsiators, at that early period, to de-
Iii AlIans 70 promote it, This they accom-
tho f,s1eu Tu oy connecting it with the worship of
bS' IouS ana by CHASING the labors of bus-
s.a.ay among the most religious duties; this
yeael was universal. Plutarch expressly
Ssa'eS 'hat some of the laws were designed to
i.oolnniend agriculture as part of religion
Anu perhaps it would be well for us lin what
we are pleased to call this enlightened age) if
some OF the legislation of California and some
=, tne laws In our compiled code, had no worse
fermlt me to turn your attention to what
was done centuries ago in South America by
!ts so called barbarous Inhabitants not what
Is now done by the descendant of the civilized
opanlard, for even we in this progressive age
can learn a lesson of wisdom from the acts and
dolngs OF the natives of that country. In the
history OF Chill, written by Molina, he OBJ
serves, that previous to the invasion of the
opanlards. the natives practiced artificial irri-
Satlon, Dy conveying water from the higher
grounds IN canals to their fields; many of the
Vaies were well cultivated, having trenches Of
water" Baron Humbolt says the ancient Pc
ruVians carried the system of irrigation to
great extent. He traced the ruined remains
vi canal from the foot of the Cordilleras to
the coast The people had laws for the pro-
tectlon OF water very similar to those of Greece,
Rome and Egypt, and all the older nations, for
those who conveyed water from the canals to
their own lands before their turn, were liable
10 severe punishment.
In some parts Of South America rain is never
known, contrivances to obtain and distribute
water was therefore by the Incas as with the
kings OF Egypt, the most important and con-
stant objects of their care; examples are men,
toned of Peruvians having conveyed small
streams through space of sixty miles, to r-
rigate few acres of land. The seventh Inca
from Mango Cape constructed some water
works. which in their beniicial effects perhaps
equalled any similar undertakings, in any part
of the world, he caused canal to be made
twelve feet in depth and one hundred and fifty
leagues 10 length, the source or head Of it was
IN one of the mountains of that country and
traversed all the country of Rucanas province
OF Peru, and serveL4 to water the paSturage of
those until then uninhabted lands, which are
situated in valley about eighteen miles in
breadth, thus watering the best part of Peru.
Many other works OF similar character are
found in South America, all denotlng the great
attention which the Incas paid to agriculture,
all displaying a wonderful degree of skill in
their construction and all contributing to the
comfort, the wealth and prosperity of the coun-
try. The enlightened Spaniard came, and
brought with him, the arts and civilization of
Spain brought with him guns and gunpowder,
and what was worse and more deadly still, the
fire rrater they sought to chrlstianize the hea-
then; they paid no attention to their great
works which only miniStered to the wants of
the husbandman they took no pains to keep
in repair the lands which the untutored Indian
had made, and suffered them to run to ruin,
past recovery; they had no taste or love for
agriculture In various parts of Mexico, evl-
dences exist which show the attention which
was paid to facilitate agricultural operations;
in the city of Mexico were many acqueducts;
at Cherebusco a name familiar with every
American, and whose soil has been maintained
with the blood of our gallant soldiers was
vast acqueduct and stone reservoir, the work
of Montezuma, which was destroyed by the
ruthless Spaniards. We cannot but lament
that the ambition of the Spaniards led them to
destroy and not to construct or build up, their
present and past history is a melancholy COM
mentary upon that folly which led them to
s1crlfice everything to their thirst and passion
for gold.
1t is always we'll for us to look into the past
history of the world and profit by the exam
pies and conduct of other nations; but it is
not necessary for US, SO far as we are concern
ed, to refer to the past; we can turn our eyes
to other lands, similarly situated to our own,
and Judge for ourselves. What Italy IS to
Europe, California in many respects can be to
the United States. 1t is now, in fact, the
Italy of the United States so far as climate IS
concerned La Man one of the most favored
spots in all Italy, it is boasted that they have
two hundred days in the year OF clear, cloud
less skies. According to meteorological OBJ
servations of Dr. r. K. Reid, at Stockton,
there were in 1853 only forty-eight cloudy and
rainy DAYS the remaining 3l7 were clear, with
a bright sun. In the wonderful fertility OF
the soil of California, it will bear comparison
with Italy, often called the garden OF the world
But we have not the population OF Italy,
nelUner nave VIC dt preSeHC tHe Cdpaoiitioo VI
supporting such a population; because we
have not the similar for irrigation, and as q
natural consequence, cannot bring into caltl-
walton sufficient quantity of land to support
and maintain it.
Italy, then, presents to Californian inter
esting subjects of inquiry, particularly north
ern Italy, in the provinces of Lombardy and
Piedmont, where the irrigation of lands has
been carried to great extent. In Piedmont,
the whole area of the plain belonging to the
State contains one million three hundred thou
sand acres of land, of which less than one mil
lion is susceptible of cultivation The total
irrigated portions of Piedmont amount to four
hundred and eighty-three thousand six hun
dred and thirteen acres of lands consequently,
only one-third Of the plain of Piedmont is irri-
gated. The total quantity of water required
amounts to eight thousaDd two hundred and
ninety ieet per second, and it is calculated that
tne increased rental of land, caused by irriga-
ton, amounts to one million FIVE hundred thou
sand dollars per year. In Lombardv, about