New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-10-08
AN OVERLAND JOURNEY.
XXXI.
XXXI.
CALIFORNIA PHYSICALLY CONSIDERED.

The State Of California may be roughly charac-
telized ss two ranges of mountains large and .
snail ene-with great valley between them, and
Q narrow, irregular counterpart separating the
smaller from tue Pacific Oceas. II We add to
tAese email strip Of arid, but fertile coast, and
broad sandy desert behind it, lying southwest Of
california proper, and likely one day to be polti-
cally severed from it, we have sufficiently sccu-
rate outline Of the topography of the Golden
Bate.
Such region, stretching from n. lat 32' 30 up
- hat Ago, and rising from the Pacific Ocean up to
,erpetuslIy sn0w-covered peaks $1,000 feet
hsh, can hardly be said to have climate.
ABIDE from the Alpine cress of the
smrra, and the sultry deserts below the
Nohaye and Santa Barbara, California enbodies
almost every graduation Of climate, from the semi
arctic to the semitrOpica. There are green, fer
HE valleys in the Sierra which only begin to be
well erased when the heritage Of the great valley
10 drying up and from which the cattle are driven
BY SHOWS as early as the LIST # October-long be-
fore grass begins to start afresh On the banks OF
the Sacramento. There are other valleys upon and
near the sea-cOast wherein frost and snow are
strangers, rarely seen and vanishing with the night
hat gave them being Generally, however, We
nav saw Of the State that it has mild dry breezy,
healthy climate better than that of Italy, in that
the sutry, scorcbng blasts from African deserts
have here no counterpart. Save In the higher
nsrhtsiDs, or in the extreme northeast, snow
never lies, the earth never freezes ard Winter is
but mder, greener, longer Spring, throughout
which cattle pick up their own living far more
early and safely than in Summer.
The climate Of the valleys may be said TO be
created, as that of the mountains is modified, BY
SAe influence of the Pacific Ocean. Sea-breezes
from the south west in Winter, from the north
west in Summer, maintain an equilibrium Of tea-
perature Amazing 10 w-Englanders. San Fran
cisco-situated Oh the great bay formed by the pas
s>Qe of the blended waters of the Sacramento and
he San Joaquin--the former draining the western
slope of the Sierra Nevada from the north, as the
hitter does from the south-is thus, as it were, ia
ne throat Of the bellows through which the damp
sales from the Pacific are constantly rushing to
cool the parched slopes or warm the snow-clad
AigAte Of the interior. presume there was never
\ day without breeze at San FrancscO-generally
\ pretty stiff one This sea-breeze is always damp,
oien chilly, and rolls up clouds which hide the sun
for part, at least, of most days. Though ice sell
dom forms and snow never lies in her streets, San
Francisco must be regarded as a cold place By most
Of her visiters and unacclimated Summer denizens
/ presume hot day YVES never known there, aud
10 night in which pair of good wooden blankets
were not esteemed shelter and a comfort by all
but extremely botblooded people. Thick fannels
and warm wooden outer garments are worn through
out the year by all who have or can get them. In
short, San Francisco is in climate what London
would be with her Summer rains transformed into
tiff and almost constant breezes.
The soil Of California is almost uniformly GOOD
The valleys and ravines rejoice In generous deP'n
Of dark vegetable mold usually mingled with or
resting on clsy while the less preclpitous hlltsides
are covered by light reddish clayey loan Of good
suaty, asking only adequate moisture to render u
amply productive. Being stream OF water almost
.pvxbere rave on the naked granite, and you IN
cite luxuriant vegetation
Yet the traveller who FIRST looks down on the
vHNeys and lower hill-sides of California in mid
swimmer is generally disappointed by the all but
sour, coarse grass along the few still living water
courses, some small, far between gardens and
orchards rendered green and thrifty by irrigation,
fsrm striking exceptions to the general paralysis oil
N annual manifestations Of vegetable life. High
N in the mountains he has found green valleys
wherein the snow doubtless fingered till late In
June, leaving the soil saturated like wet sponge
Ibr Q month later; and there are swampy meadows
whereon the coarse grass grows thick to hight
ef several feet; while beds of delicate Towering
plants sheltered by the tall forests, maintain their
vitality on the mountainslcpes till late IN August;
but he passes out of the rigon Of Evergreens into
Ast of Oaks az he descends to level Of some 5000
Set above the ocean, and green valleys luxuriant
ueadows and mountain glsdes Of Towering plants
still living, salute him no longer. The Oaks grad
ually become sparse and scattered; their dark
foliage contrasts strongly with the dun, dead herb
ase beneath and between them; as he descends to
he plains, the Oaks vanish or become like angels
Wits while broad eIpsnse of drisdup pasture
rance yies with occasional strips of Wheat or
Barley stabbe in evencing the protracted fierce
,ess of the Summer drouth. His vision sweeps
ever miles after miles Of stubble and range where
On no SIGN of vegetable ife-not even green
weed-is presented; he sees seven-eighths OF the
water.coursss absolutely intensely dry, while the
residue are reduced from rivers to scanty brooks,
from brooks to tiny rivulets; and he murmurs to
himself-"Is this the American Italy 1t looks
"more like Sahara or Cobb"
Vi th;s 6ka most b.stv judgments 10 very