“The island of Carmen, lying in front of Loretta, has a large salt lake, which has a solid salt surface of several feet thickness.  The salt is of good quality, is cut out like ice, and it could supply the world.  It has heretofore been a monopoly to the governor of Lower California, who employed convicts to get out the salt and put it on the beach ready for shipping.  It is carried about a quarter of a mile, and is sent to Mazatlan and San Blas.  A large quantity of salt is used in producing silver.  To the north of Muleje, which is nearly opposite Guymas, the gulf is so much narrower that it is a harbour itself.  No accurate survey has ever been made of it—­indeed, all the peninsula, as well as the coast of Upper California, is laid down wrong on the charts, being about twelve miles too far easterly.  The English Government now have two naval ships engaged in surveying the Gulf of California.

“On the Pacific coast of the peninsula there is the great Bay of Magdalena, which has fine harbours, but no water, provisions, or inhabitants.  Its shores are high barren mountains, said to possess great mineral wealth.  A fleet of whale-ships have been there during the winter months of the last two years, for a new species of whale that are found there, represented as rather a small whale, producing forty or fifty barrels of oil; and, what is most singular, I was assured, by most respectable whaling captains, that the oil is a good paint-oil (an entire new quality for fish-oil).  Geographically and commercially, Lower California must become very valuable.  It will be a constant source of regret to this country, that it is not included in the treaty of peace just made with Mexico.  We have held and governed it during the war, and the boundary of Upper California cuts the head of the Gulf of California, so that Lower California is left entirely disconnected with the Mexican territory.

“Cape St. Lucas is the great headland of the Pacific Ocean, and is destined to be the Gibraltar and entrepot of that coast, or perhaps La Paz may be preferred, on account of its superior harbour.  As a possession to any foreign power, I think Lower California more valuable than the group of the Sandwich Islands.  It has as many arable acres as that group of islands, with rich mines, pearl-fishing, fine bays and harbours, with equal health, and all their productions.  As a country, it is dry, mountainous, and sterile, yet possessing many fine valleys like San Jose, as the old mission establishments indicate.  I have heard Todas Santos, Commondee, Santa Guadalupe, and others, spoken of as being more extensive, and as productive as San Jose.

“I am, most faithfully and truly, yours,

“RODMAN M. PRICE.”

In the vicinity of Los Angeles there are a number of warm springs which throw out and deposit large quantities of bitumen or mineral tar.  This substance, when it cools, becomes hard and brittle like resin.  Around some of these springs many acres of ground are covered with this deposit to the depth of several feet.  It is a principal material in the roofing of houses.  When thrown upon the fire, it ignites immediately, emitting a smoke like that from turpentine, and an odour like that from bituminous coal.  This mineral, so abundant in California, may one day become a valuable article of commerce.