Alta or Upper California With respect to Agriculture—Climate and Health of Alta California—Navigation of its two principal Rivers—Some of the principal Towns of Alta California—Its Bays and Harbors.

It can hardly be imagind, how the business of agriculture can be carrid on successfully in a country circumstancd like Upper California. In the mountainous portions, grain can not do well without resort to irrigation, and this, from extreme cost, can not well be done on an extensive scale.

The low country of the great valley of the St. Waukeen and Sacramento, is not unfrequently inundated a month or two, during the latter part of the winter, which renders passages from one part of the valley to another by land, entirely impracticable, and although along the borders of those two large rivers, and to some distance outward from them, there is a good soil, yet it is well known to farmers, that wheat will not live but a few days, entirely immersd in water—so that the wheat crop could never be depended upon as a safe investment.

Along the borders of these rivers, in some places, the native grasses are of a tolerable growth. Outward toward the base of the mountain, the earth becomes so dry during the summer, that vegetation is entirely dried up. It however arrives at maturity, at a stinted growth. I have seen native oats growing upon the plains of the great valley. These also are not very enormous in size. Notwithstanding, they for awhile furnish good grazing for the roaming cattle of the country, upon which, and the short bunch grass growing upon some of the hills, they become very fat during the summer. But as the grasses of the country are of so stinted a growth, farmers cannot live in crowded communities, as in the States, but at distances of from 10 to 20 miles apart. Locations of this kind are calld ranches, or rancheros, and farmers so living often own several hundred head of cattle and horses.

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The climate of California, of which I shall next speak, varies considerably in different parts of the country, according to its distance from the ocean or from the Neveda mountains, or the unevenness of the surface of the country.

In the mountain district of the Neveda range, the climate was describd in the geography of that portion of California.

Lower down and westward, along the great valley, the climate is milder, through the whole of the year. I believe the large rivers of the valley are not frozen during the winter, and the weather in summer is quite warm. Thus far from the axis of the Neveda mountains eastward, to the two great rivers westward, during the summer season, the sky is serene, and the stars and planets shine with great splendor.

No dew falls in that part hitherto describd, during the hottest season of the year, and travelers may lie upon the ground without exposure from the unhealthiness of a damp ground and a moist atmosphere.

Farther outward, and along the coast, the country is much of the time during the year, coverd with fogs, which render it unpleasant, and in some measure unhealthy. The town of San Francisco, most of the year, is envelopd in a thick fog, during much of the night and the following day, till 10 or 11 o’clock, after which time the wind becomes of sufficient strength to clear away the fog, which often renders the remainder of the day unpleasant. This town, from the almost continued dampness of the atmosphere, and the unavoidable use of mineralizd water, can hardly be considerd a healthy place. Dysentery and fever seems to be the prevalent disease.

I had nearly forgotten an idea which I now recollect to have heard, relating to the dryness and purity of the atmosphere of California. It has been said that the flesh of animals may be hung up in the open atmosphere, till it becomes perfectly preservd by drying, without salt, and during such process, no annoying insects ever disturb it—and also, that a man would never die there, except by being dried up.

It is true, that the Spaniards have a mode of preserving the flesh of the ox, by cutting it into very small strips, and hanging it upon strings cut from the raw hide, where it is exposd to the heat of the sun. In this way, meat could be preservd in any of the States, but if it be left in large masses, and so circumstancd that any part of it is kept from drying immediately on the outside, the green fly, an insect common to that country as well as the States, is presently found to be a loathsome intruder.

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When I left the mining district for the valley, on my way to San Francisco, on the 13th of October, I saw eight or ten vessels lying at Stocton, and at the head of Suisan bay, three or four more, and at the head of Pablo bay, six or seven more. These, with ten or twelve lying at Sacramento city, and as many more scatterd along the two rivers and in the several bays, added to about 130 which I counted in the harbor of San Francisco, on my arrival there, will make about 175 vessels within the country of California. Most of the vessels lying in the harbor of San Francisco, were inactive, for want of help to work them.

The business of transportation upon the two rivers, St. Waukeen and Sacramento, I believe to be as profitable as any that is attended to in California. When I left, two small steamers were constantly plying between San Francisco and Sacramento city, and another was being put together at Suisan bay, for the navigation of the St. Waukeen. More busines at present is done upon the rivers by launches, a small vessel of only one mast, than by any other vessel. These are more easily managd than large ships, along the intricate windings of those extremely crooked rivers, but so soon as a sufficient number of steamers can be obtaind for the business of the rivers, other means of transportation will in a great degree cease.

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That portion of Alta California, where at present men’s conceptions are most vivid, and where at every corner, pass or avenue, the lively turn of the foot is seen, and where men’s views and feelings to-morrow will not be what they are to-day, and where also the sight of the golden streams from the Neveda mountains produce electrical shocks upon all persons, whose hearts are tund to chant the new and animating lays of later scenes of better days, and where nearly all of the “Elephant,” in his varied and portentous displays, is seen—may be comprisd within the small tract of country, over which the waters of the two principal rivers, Sacramento and St. Waukeen, flow. Along these waters, are several newly laid out towns, together with some of ancient Mexican date.

San Francisco is situated upon a side hill, on the south side of the bay of the same name. Its inhabitants were reckond, on the first of November, ’49, at 25,000, though six months before there were scarcely 5000. Such has been the rapid progress of San Francisco. The town is 10 or 12 miles within the entrance of the bay from the ocean.

At the head of Pablo bay, is a newly laid out town, calld Benetia. It lies on the north side of the strait between Pablo bay and Suisan bay. This strait will doubtless bear the name of Benetia. The town will ultimately be a pleasanter one than San Francisco. One mile east of Benetia, upon the same side of the strait, the United States have establishd an arsenal.

At the head of Suisan bay, is a new town calld Western New York. This town lies on the south side of the waters of the bay, upon, a flat piece of ground, at the lower confluence of the Sacramento and St. Waukeen. The delta between the upper and lower confluence, is about 20 miles in length. New York, situated as it is, will command the business of both rivers, and if it is lucky enough to avoid being inundated once a year, will ultimately be a place of considerable importance.

At the present head waters of navigation for the St. Waukeen, upon a slough about three miles distant from the river, is a town calld Stocton, the principal embarkadary for the south division of the mining district. This town is situated on low, flat ground, which rises but little above the waters of the river, at lowest stages. When the country around is overflowd with water, this town must necessarily suffer much inconvenience therefrom.

The last town which I shall here mention, is Sacramento city. Like Stocton, it is situated at the present head waters of the Sacramento river. It serves as the principal embarkadary for the northern mining region, as Stocton does for the south, and from this place, provisions and implements are carrid to all parts of the northern mining region. The place is more than half as large as San Francisco, and is fast improving.

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Before closing the subject of California, a few remarks concerning its bays and harbors may not be uninteresting.

The Bay of San Francisco is nearly surrounded by high hills, with a narrow entrance from the ocean, and now and then an island is interspersd, to hide the scenery of its waters from the hills contiguous to the town of San Francisco. It is large enough to contain the shipping of the whole world, and its waters are not of inconvenient depth for anchorage.

Next above this, lies Pablo bay, or Bay of St. Paul. It is inferior in size, but ships can anchor in any part of it, and lie at all times with a tolerable degree of safety.

At the head of Pablo bay, commences Suisan bay, which extends upward to the delta that divides the two rivers, Sacramento and St. Waukeen. The waters of this bay are so shoal that vessels have difficulty in sailing over it, except directly along its channel.

The distances across the several bays are as follows. From San Francisco to Pablo bay, is about 10 miles, and through Pablo bay to Suisan bay, is 40 miles, and Suisan bay differs but little from 50 miles in length, from Benetia to New York, at the head of the bay.