What I saw on the west coast of South and North America, and at the Hawaiian Islands.: By H. Willis Baxley, M.D.

OAGLED.
will was the sovereign law of the land during the dominion of
Spain in America. It is in this vicinity that _M-ssion Gap is
found, the mountain pass through the PRange by which communication is had between this district and the great interior basiin.
The extent of level land between the 3Mount Diablo Plange
and the Bay of San Francisco, is far greater than that between
the Coast Range proper and the west shore of the bay. The
soil, however, on both sides is of equal and great depth and fertility, and the probability is that the waters of the bay formerly
covered the whole surface of the valley from Range to Range,
and that their retirement within the present limits left the rich
alluvial deposits, the agricultural wealth of which Spain showed
that she was duly sensible when her Government sought to encourage their cultivation for the supply of her Pacific marine,
by a liberal bestowTment of land grants to emigrants. Five
miles beyond the old mission we passed through the pretty little
village of Centreville; and still further five miles we saw in the
distance, off to the left of thie road, and near the bay shore, the
small town of Alvarado, in water communication with San IFrancisco. The agricultural capacities of this part of Alameda
County, and of the still wider part of the valley further north,
are represented to be unsuiTassed, and this we found confirmed
by the continuous unfolding of affluent fields and meadows,
abounding gardens, and luseious vineyards.
At the distance of thirty-five miles from the town of San
Jose6 the village of San Leandro, the county seat of Alameda,
was reached, sitting prettily on the bank of San Lorenzo Creekl,
at the foot of the Mountain Range. Seven miles more of flat
country, requiring much drainage, brought ns to Oakland in
Contra Costa County, the Brooklyn of San Francisco, situated
immediately opposite to that city, on the eastern shore of the
bay, ten miles distant, and in free communication with the city
by a steam ferry established and still conducted by Mr. Charles
Mfinturn, one of the most enterprising citizens of the State to
whom California is chiefly indebted for the introduction of many
facilities of travel. The name of this appendage to the commnercial metropolis is derived from its magnificent groves of live
oaks which are not merely ornamental, but really subserve a
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