Legal Distances.-From Sacramento, six hundred miles; from Stockton, six hundred miles, and from San Quentin, four hundred and five miles.

First Judicial District.-Hon. Benjamin Hayes, Judge District Court. Sessions, third Monday in February, May and October.

County Courts.-Terms of County Court: Second Monday in February, May and October. Court of Sessions: First Monday in February, May and October. Probate Court: Fourth Monday in January, April, July and Oct. First Senatorial District.-Senator: Hon. C. E. Thom; term expires, January, 1860.

Member of Assembly.-Hon. G. N. Whitman.

Agricultural Products.—Wheat, 1,000 acres, 18,500 bushels; barley, 800 acres, 24,000 bushels; oats, 50 acres, 500 bushels; rye, 8 acres, 100 bushels; corn, 5,000 acres, 100,000 bushels; beans, 35 acres; onions, 1,000 bushels.

Fruit Trees, (1857).—Apple, 1,500; peach, 25,000; pear, 500; plum, 150; cherry, 150; nectarine, 220; quince, 200; apricot, 500; fig, 150; citron, 5; olive, 200; pomegranate, 100; almond, 150; walnut, 100. Vines; Gooseberry, 20; strawberry, 3,000.

Grape and the Manufacture of Wine.—The grape is beginning to be extensively cultivated, and will no doubt before many years form an important item of the resources of this county. It is estimated that there will be over two hundred thousand vines planted the approaching season. Number at present in cultivation, 75,000.

Live Stock, (1857).-Horses, 1,708; mules and asses, 185; cattle, 9,712; sheep, 2,455; goats, 464; hogs, 402; poultry, 3,000.

Manufactures.-Grist mills, 3-water; saw mills, 7-steam, 2, water, 5; capacity per day, 27,000 feet of lumber. Distilleries, 1; tanneries, 1. Mineral Resources.-It is believed, that when the resources of this county shall have been developed, it will prove, with regard to its minerals, one of the richest counties in the State. Quicksilver, iron, copper, lead and a variety of other metals, have already been discovered. Iron, copper, lead and silver exist in large quantities in various parts of the county.

Finances, May 1858.-Floating debt, $5,200. Receipts for fiscal year, $4,000. Expenditures, same period, $3,750.

Attorneys.-San Bernardino; S. R. Campbell, A. H. Clark, B. Coopwood,

W. Pickett, H. C. Rolfe and J. Sparks.

Physicians.-San Bernardino: W. M. Andrews, D. R. Deckey, W. McIntyre, J. W. Smith, L. H. Sneed and O. M. Wozencraft.

X X V. SAN DIEGO COUNTY.

COUNTY SEAT-SAN DIEGO.

Boundaries: North by San Bernardino, east by New Mexico, south by Lower California and west by the Pacific Ocean.

Topography. The land of this county is, with the exception of a small portion, adapted to grazing purposes. There are numerous tracts of small extent cultivated, which produce well. The mountainous districts contain an abundance of timber, among which may be found several varieties of the oak, pine, cedar, fir, ash, sycamore, elm, etc. Gold, silver, lead, copper, etc., are to be found in the mountains, and there are good reasons to believe that future explorations will develop their existence in such abundance as will amply remunerate those who may be engaged in bringing them to light.

The area of the county is estimated by the County Assessor, in his report for 1856, "about eight million five hundred thousand acres of land of which the Colorado Desert comprises about three million, and the mountainous region about four million, leaving one million five hundred thousand acres as level lands lying along the coast, in the valleys and as elevated as table land. The soil of the desert is pronounced by geologists to be exceedingly fertile, the absence of one element alone-moisture-causing it to be a sterile, barren region, and that element might easily be supplied by means of irrigation from the Colorado River, or from artesian wells." Land in cultivation, three thousand acres.

Legal Distances.-From Sacramento, seven hundred and fifty miles; from Stockton, seven hundred and fifty miles, and from San Quentin, five hundred and twenty-five miles.

First Judicial District.-Hon. Benjamin Hayes, Judge District Court. Sessions, third Monday in April, August and December.

County Courts.-The terms of the County Court: First Monday in January, March, May, July, September and November. Court of Sessions: First Monday in February, April, June, August, October and December. Probate Court: Fourth Monday in each month.

First Senatorial District.-Senator: Hon. C. E. Thom; term expires, January, 1860.

Member of Assembly.-Hon. A. S. Ensworth.

Agricultural Products.-Wheat, 700 acres, 10,500 bushels; barley, 1,500 acres, 60,000 bushels; oats. 100 acres, 3,000 bushels; corn, 2,000 bushels; potatoes, 1,000 bushels; beans, 200 bushels; peas, 200 bushels; hay, 500 tuns; grapes, 20,000 pounds. Buckwheat and rye have been tried as an experiment, and found to succeed well; rye, especially, seemed to stand the drouth better than the other grains. The soil and climate of the county appear to be well adapted to sweet potatoes and tobacco. Sugar and cotton have also been tried as experiments, which have proved very successful, the cane having a very rapid growth, and the bolls of cotton being of extraordinary size.

Fruit Trees.-The soil and climate are well adapted for every description of fruit, especially the fig and pear, which bear luxuriantly every year. Number of trees, (1857,) 1,000. Number planted, (1858,) 5,000. There are several vineyards in the county, the grapes of which are of large size and excellent flavor. Number of grape vines, 50,000. Five or six hundred gallons of wine made from them the past year proved to be of very good quality.

Live Stock.-Horses, 7,000; mules and asses, 850; cattle, 20,000; sheep, 25,000; hogs, 500; poultry, 4,000.

Mineral Resources.-A variety of valuable minerals have been found in the mountainous districts. A rich vein of coal has also been discovered near San Diego which is said to be of excellent quality. Veins of copper and silver have been recently discovered in this county, which are reported to be exceedingly rich. A very rich vein of silver has been discovered in the vicinity of San Diego. It is favorably located, being but a few miles from the town.

Finances, May, 1858.-Funded debt, $25,300, ten per cent.; floating debt, $6,292 46, interest on registered portion, ten per cent. Cash in treasury, $3,377 79; actual debt, $28,214 77. Receipts for past fiscal year, $4,031 85; expenditures same period, $5,000

Attorneys.-San Diego: A. S. Ensworth, W. C. Ferrell, J. R. Gitchell, D. B. Kurtz, E. W. Morse, J. Nichols and O. S. Witherby. Physicians.-San Diego; David B. Hoffman.

XXVI-SAN FRANCISCO CITY AND COUNTY.*

San Francisco, organized 1850: city and county consolidated July, 1856. Topography. The present city and county of San Francisco are co-extensive, being bounded on the north and east by the bay, extending to low water mark on the shores of Marin County, on the south by the county of San Mateo and on the west by the ocean. The southern boundary, in a direct line, is six and a half miles from the Plaza, being a few yards north of the old Abbey House, the line separating townships numbers two and three, and running due west from the bay to the Pacific. The city and county may be considered nearly square, averaging six and a half miles from north to south, and about the same from east to west, embracing an area of forty-two square miles, or about twenty-seven thousand acres, of which ten thousand are capable of cultivation, eight thousand are rocks, drifting sand and water, six thousand are adapted for pasture, two thousand occupied by the city proper, and about one thousand acres are used for market gardens.

Islands.-The following islands are also within the legislative limits of this city and county, namely: Yerba Buena Island, Alcatraz Island, Angel Island and the Farallon Island. Yerba Buena Island-is situated in the bay of San Francisco, north-east from the city. From Rincon Point and Market Street Wharf it is distant about one mile and a half, and from Contra Costa nearly three miles. The northern end of the island is distant from the Golden Gate (Fort Point) five miles and a half. This island contains 198 acres, of which 75 consist of rich soil, well adapted for garden purposes; 15 acres are heavily timbered, 23 acres jungle and brushwood; 75 acres hilly, rocky and sandy being thickly covered with the herb, or mint plant, from which the island takes its present name. Springs of excellent water abound on the eastern and western sides, in the midst of a fertile valley. The apex of this island is 339 feet above high water. In early times it was densely covered with wood, and was known to ancient mariners and whalers as Wood Island; but in 1839, one W. Spears placed a number of goats thereon, and hence the still popular name of Goat Island. Ou the easterly side is a wide shoal bay, dry at low water, which, with the present material on the island, could be filled up so as to more than double its size. This island is formed of compact beds of sandstone, of a blueish-gray color, from four to twenty-two inches in thickness. Its texture varies but little in the different beds, and the grain is close and even, and generally very fine. The position of these beds of sandstone is highly favorable for working, readily loaded at the wharf and ferried over the channel to the city. Several quarries are now opened on the island, and the supply of building stone appears inexhaustible. The U. S. Government having proposed to place some batteries upon the island, included it in the third line of fortifications, and it was reserved with the other points in 1850. It is claimed, however, under a Mexican grant, dated 8th November, 1838, *We are indebted to the politeness of Clement Ferguson, Esq., for the valuable data contained in this article relative to the Geography, Topography and Finances of San Francisco.

and is said to be the first island granted by Governor Alvarado under the decree authorizing the granting of islands to Mexican citizens." This claim was recently rejected by the U. S. District Court in this city. II. Alcatraz, (Pelican,) or Bird Island-is also within the bay, lying to the westward of Yerba Buena, from which it is distant about a mile and a half. From the Golden Gate it is under four miles. This island is midway between Yerba Buena and Angel islands. The apex of this rocky eminence is 154 feet above the level of the water, and its area is 26 acres. Its greatest length and breadth are 1,673 feet, and 590 feet respectively. A portion is covered with a luxuriant growth of wild oats. This little isle, being one of the national fortifications, is exempt from taxation. Already 60 guns of heavy caliber have been mounted, and the foundations laid for many more. With two exceptions, its sides are so precipitous that a landing could, with difficulty, be effected. III. Angel Island—is also within the bay, lying nearly three miles northwest of Yerba Buena, and about one mile from Marin County. It contains an area of 750 acres, and its apex is 600 feet above the level of the water. Excavations for building-stone have been made on the south-east end of the island. It is composed of sand-stone similar to that on Yerba Buena, but it is not so dark in color nor so hard. Specimens that have been examined, contain a notable quantity of carbonate of lime. The strata dips westwardly, and the quarry is opened on their upturned edges, and not at the ends of the beds, as at Yerba Buena. The weathered surfaces present the usual rusty color, and the divisional places or clearages are numerous. This island has heretofore been included within the boundaries of Marin, (see Wood's Digest, p. 132,) but subsequent legislation has assigned it to San Francisco, the northern boundary of which extends to the low water mark of Marin, commencing on the coast, "opposite Fort Point, thence following said low water mark to a point due north-west of Golden Rock." See Statutes of 1857, p. 209. It is worthy of remark, however, that this recent Act recites Yerba Buena, Alcatraz and the Farallons as the islands within the jurisdiction of San Francisco; yet by examining the map it will be apparent, notwithstanding the omission to designate Angel Island with the others, that the words above cited are almost conclusive as to its being within the limits of San Francisco. This is the first year that this island has been included in the assessment roll of this city and county. IV. The Farallon Rocks or Islands-in the Pacific Ocean, embrace the northerly, the middle and the southerly groups, the latter being distant from the former about seven miles. The northerly cluster is made up of five rocks; the middle is a single rock; and the southerly is the larger, (being two miles in circumference,) upon which the light-house stands, the top of the tower being 330 feet above the level of the sea, and about 29 miles westward from the Golden Gate. It is really difficult to imagine a more desolate and barren place than these "rocky islets" present to view; yet collectively they may be considered as the most extensive poultry yard in the world, for here may be found in myraids the bird described by Buffon as the Guillamot, (the Uria Troile of Linnæus,) which lay their eggs upon the bare