The Project Gutenberg eBook, What I Saw in California, by Edwin Bryant

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net

Title: What I Saw in California

Author: Edwin Bryant

Release Date: July 23, 2004 [eBook #13002]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)

***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WHAT I SAW IN CALIFORNIA***

E-text prepared by the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading
Team

WHAT I SAW IN CALIFORNIA

A Description of Its Soil, Climate, Productions, and Gold Mines;
with the Best Routes and Latest Information for Intending Emigrants.

By

EDWIN BRYANT

Late Alcade of San Francisco.

To which is annexed, an Appendix

Containing official documents and letters authenticating the accounts
of the quantities of gold found, with its actual value ascertained by
chemical assay.

Also late communications containing accounts of the highest interest
and importance from the gold districts.

With a Map.

1849

"All which I saw, and part of which I was."
--_Dryden_.

CHAPTER I.

Geographical sketch of California
Its political and social institutions
Colorado River
Valley and river of San Joaquin
Former government
Presidios
Missions
Ports and commerce.

For the general information of the reader, it will be proper to give a
brief geographical sketch of California, and some account of its
political and social institutions, as they have heretofore existed.

The district of country known geographically as Upper California is
bounded on the north by Oregon, the forty-second degree of north
latitude being the boundary line between the two territories; on the
east by the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra de los Mimbres, a
continuation of the same range; on the south by Sonora and Old or Lower
California, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean. Its extent from north
to south is about 700 miles, and from east to west from 600 to 800
miles, with an area of about 400,000 square miles. A small portion only
of this extensive territory is fertile or inhabitable by civilized man,
and this portion consists chiefly in the strip of country along the
Pacific Ocean, about 700 miles in length, and from 100 to 150 in