by high barren mountains, which is the general appearance of the whole peninsula, and gives the impression that the whole country is without soil, and unproductive.  When your eye gets a view of this beautiful, fertile, cultivated, rich, green valley, producing all the fruits and vegetables of the earth, Lower California stock rises.  To one that has been at sea for months, on salt grub, the sight of this bright spot of cultivated acres, with the turkeys, ducks, chickens, eggs, vegetables, and fruit, makes him believe the country an Eldorado.  Following up the coast on the Gulf side, after passing Cape Polmo, good anchorage is found between the peninsula and the island of Cerralbo.  Immediately to the north of this island is the entrance to the great and beautiful bay of La Paz.  It has two entrances, one to the north and one to the south of the island of Espiritu Santo.  The northern one is the boldest and safest for all craft drawing over twelve feet.  The town of La Paz is at the bottom or south side of the bay, about twenty miles from the mouth.  The bay is a large and beautiful sheet of water.  The harbour of Pichelinque, of perfect mill-pond stillness, is formed inside of this bay.  The Cyane lay at this quiet anchorage several days.

“Pearl-fishing is the chief employment of the inhabitants about the bay, and the pearls are said to be of superior quality.  I was shown a necklace, valued at two thousand dollars, taken in this water.  They are all found by diving.  The Yake Indians are the best divers, going down in eight-fathom water.  The pearl shells are sent to China, and are worth, at La Paz, one dollar and a half the arroba, or twenty-five pounds.  Why it is a submarine diving apparatus has not been employed in this fishery, with all its advantages over Indian diving, I cannot say.  Yankee enterprise has not yet reached this new world.  I cannot say this either, as a countryman of ours, Mr. Davis, living at Loretta, has been a most successful pearl-fisher, employing more Indians than any one else engaged in the business.  I am sorry to add that he has suffered greatly by the war.  The country about La Paz is a good grazing country, but very dry.  The mountains in the vicinity are said to be very rich in minerals.  Some silver mines near San Antonio, about forty miles south, are worked, and produce well.  La Paz may export one hundred thousand dollars a-year of platapina.  Gold-dust and virgin gold are brought to La Paz.  The copper and lead mines are numerous and rich.  To the north of La Paz are numerous safe and good harbours.  Escondida, Loretta, and Muleje are all good harbours, formed by the islands in front of the main land.