San Andreas independent., 1858-03-20


fevers in this hot region, except in what
is called the tule bottoms, being the
marshy lands along the lakes and rivers,
producing large species of bulrush,
called by the natives tule.
Passing now to the eastern strip Or por-
ton, the slope of the Nevada, the heat,
except in those deep canons where the
reflection from the sides of the hills makes
it sometimes even insupportable, is quail
fed In degree, according to the altitude.
A gentle west wind, heated in the lower
parts or foothills by the heat of the val
ley, fans it all day. At points which are
higher the wind is cooler. Here, also,
on the slope of the Nevada, the nights
are always cool in summer, SO cool that
the late and early frosts leave too short
space for the ordinary summer crop to
mature, even where the altitude is not
more than 5000 or 1000 feet. Mean
time, at the top of the Sierra, where the
west wind, piling up from below, breaks
over into Utah, travellers undertake to
say that, in some of the passes it blows
with such stress as even to polish the rocks,
by the gravel and sand which it drives
before it. The day is cloudless on the
slope of the Sierra, as in the valley, but
on the top there is now and then a mod
crate thunder shower. With this excep-
ton, as referring to part uninhabitable,
thunder is scarcely even heard in Cali
fornia; the principal thunder being un-
derground.
The writer might have observed, while
speaking of the foothills being the prin-
cipal location of the gold fields, that, al
though the nights are cooler, the heat
during the day is scarcely less than that
of the great valleys below In the ca
nons-the Spanish name for deep gorges
the heat during the summer is, as he
remarks, all but insupportable. And this
feature of the climate-the long continued
and scorching heats and must ever
remain the great drawback on life in
the mines, or in the valleys of the San
Joaquin and Sacramento
Coming back to the first strip of coun-
try mentioned, that lying west of the
Coast Range, parallel and adjacent to the
ocean, we here find the greatest variety of
climates fact traceable to the currents
given the wind by the mountains, and
also to the position of place on their
sides, and the proximity of the sea. 1t
is a curious fact that the east side of a
valley in this region is usually warmer
than the west; and that the east side of
a mountain range is swept with greater
violence by the wind than the west, facing
the direction from which the wind blows.
This phenomenon, SO contrary to our for
mer experience, is thus explained: the
cold wind coming from the sea, on reach
ing the crest of the mountain, meets a
more heated and rarifed atmosphere, and
being heavier, it no sooner passes the
summit than it pitches down in cold
cataract along the eastern slope, on which
and the intervening plain it spends its
fury, before reaching the opposite side of
the valley. Therefore it is we find cold
raw wind tearing through the streets of
San Francisco, and sweeping over the
Mission, while at point Lobos on the one
hand, or Oakland on the other, the air is
comparatively mild and quiet. The same
thing is true at Saucelito, place to all
appearance thoroughly sheltered against
the west wind, being under the lee of a
mountain twice the height of those back
of San Francisco. The craft, buffeted
by the breezes on the Bay, runs into the
little cove before that town, expecting to
ride at peace in its placid waters but the
mariner is surprised to find cold blast
rushing down from the heights, with a
force that actually gorges into the water,
and lifts the white caps within rod of
the shore
A knowledge of this peculiarity ex-
plains many things that before seemed
strange; as for example, why is THAT in
going from San Francisco to San Jose
the traveller finds himself passing through
four or five climates When abreast a
gap or depression in the mountains on
his right, exposed to the chilly wind, an
overcoat would be comfortable; when
under the lee of a summit, which the tog
wind passes by and need not pass over,
summer clothing is more than sufficient.
n IuTLueT cAculpllucdtlOH Vi IHe euecU OI
these mountain ranges on climate, is to
be found in the contrast between the me-
teorological condition of Benicia and Mar
tinez. These two places only mile and
a half apart, on opposite sides of the
Straits of Carquinez, are as different In
climate as Charleston and Quebec. The
cold winds crossing the Bay and sweeping
along the west side of the Contra Costa
chain, strike Benicia full in the face.
while her neighbor, close under the noun
tain which turns the wind aside, enioys.
an unclouded sun and is swelteringi in the
heat common to the great valley cauldron
on the rim of which it is situated. In
most countries, by passing from north to
south distance of 200 miles, one natu-
rally expects to find somewhat warmer
climate
In California it is often otherwise =
Leaving Marysville, for instance, in the
month of April, and journeying south,
the traveller experiences an intense heat,
and will not for whole day hear bird
sing with any spirit. On reaching San
Jose he meets with cool and spring-like
freshness in the air and the kirde GRO f,,ll