plain, and all of the arid waste lands in Southern California, have long since been surveyed by the government, there are in the northern portion of the State, unsurveyed, many fertile valleys, well watered, and very desirable as homes for settlers. It would greatly promote the well-being of the State if such places were as speedily as possible surveyed by the government, and such lands as are covered by valuable forests of timber should, by all means, be surveyed with as little delay as possible, as the only means of preventing the speedy destruction of the timber, since experience teaches that without private ownership it is impossible to preserve the forest lands from utter ruin. Under this head, I would suggest to the department that the present appropriation for clerical and draughting service in the office is far from being sufficient for the compensation of such a force as is absolutely necessary for the proper execution of the publie work demanded. SURVEYS OF SPANISH GRANTS. The subject of Spanish grants has been prolific of many troubles in California ever since the organization of the board of land commissioners, in 1851, for the settlement thereof; and the expensive delays incident to the confirmation or rejection of these claims before the courts of the United States, and to the settlement of boundaries by the courts, and by the Department of the Interior, have been very serious drawbacks to the permanent settlement and substantial improvement of the country, and to the development of the agricultural resources thereof. This has resulted from the want of experience rather than from any other cause. The members of the board of land commissioners, although doubtless eminently learned in their profession, were unfamiliar with the habits of the people of the country and their manner of doing business, and, probably, not conversant with the language in which the original title papers of these grants were written; they had, therefore, to trust to such translators as they could obtain, who were, unfortunately, often unskilled in the use of either the Spanish or the English language. From such data as generally crude, and often incorrect, translations of the original title papers, and the oral testimony of illiterate witnesses, given through the media of unskilled interpreters, the commission attempted to fix certainly the locations and boundaries of the claims before them for adjudication, without being aware of the fact that in a majority of the cases before them it was absolutely impossible to ascertain the boundaries of these claims, or the proper locations thereof, without an examination upon the ground by some one familiar with the language of the original title papers and the habits of the people of the country. The result of this has been that many of these grants have been, by decree, improperly located, including land not embraced within the calls of the title papers, and excluding lands embraced therein. It will be many years before the evil effects resulting from these causes shall cease to be felt in this country; but although it is too late to remedy the misfortunes which, by this system of settling Spanish land titles, have been entailed upon California, the experience thus acquired may serve as a wholesome lesson for the future to those who may have the control of such matters in those portions of the territory of the United States in which are located ancient grants of land, made by the governments of Spain and Mexico, and which have yet to be adjudicated and located. The titles of nearly all of the Spanish grants in this country have been finally either confirmed or rejected by the courts, but many cases are pending still on the question of survey, and many suits are pending before the courts of the country, and many more, resulting from the causes above referred to, will doubtless be commenced. MINERAL LANDS AND MINING. Applications for mineral surveys have increased during the last year, caused, no doubt, to some extent by mining reverses in Nevada, which have induced capital to seek investments in California. The result of this has been that not only many new mines have been located, but in many mines heretofore abandoned work has been resumed, all of which has given a new impetus to the mining interests of California. In this connection I will refer to the "petroleum" interests of this country, which bid fair in the future to play an important part in the industrial enterprises of California. Some fifteen years ago there was considerable excitement in the country in relation to the discovery of petroleum springs in different parts of the State, but princ pally in that portion of the county of Santa Barbara now embraced in the county of Ventura. A number of persons were engaged and some capital expended in prospecting for oil. After a little time, however, as nothing satisfactory resulted therefrom, these enterprises were abandoned. Recently this business has been renewed, and persons with experience acquired in the oil regions of the East have been employed in developing those latent sources of wealth, and with the most satisfactory result. In the Ventura district there are some eleven Producing wells, and not one bore has been made that does not give evidence of petroleum. On the edge of Tulare Valley there is also a district of country which gives abundant evidence of being rich in petroleum, and for the development of which capital is now being invested. I have no doubt but that these enterprises will prove to be largely remunerative to the parties engaged therein, and will add much to the wealth of the State. DESERT LANDS AND IRRIGATION. In the northern portion of the State the annual rainfall is sufficient generally, if not always, to insure a good crop, hence the eagerness with which the settler seeks a home in that region, since he can there locate with his family on a small tract of land without the constant fear of perishing from drought, while on the plains in the valleys of Southern California, no matter how fertile the soil may be, no prudent man will venture to make a permanent settlement upon land which cannot be irrigated. This region is subject to seasons of drought, during which the whole country becomes an absolute desert, except such spots as can be artificially watered. The ancient records of the country show that in Southern California seasons of extreme drought have been of frequent occurrence ever since the settlement of the country by the Spaniards; that often the stock have perished with hunger and thirst, and that sometimes, by order of the government, a large portion have been destroyed so that a remnant might be saved. Indeed, almost the whole of Southern California, except such portions as can be irrigated, may properly be considered as desert lands, since the plains and valleys of that region, although in fertility of soil they are not surpassed by the delta of the Nile, yielding in favorable seasons abundant harvests, are, in dry years like the present, deserts, as arid as that of Sahara. The question, then, of the irrigation of these comparatively desert lands is one of vital importance to this interests of this country, and one which is now attracting much attention among men of intelligent enterprise, it being by such persons considered practicable, by adopting such systems of irrigation as are in use in the older inhabited parts of the world, which, like this country, are subject to destructive droughts, to cause these arid portions of California to be ever productive regardless of the character of the seasons. This, however, cannot be accomplished by individual enterprise, the amount of capital required being probably greater than any individual capitalist would be able or willing to invest in such enterprise, by whom or however done it matters not; one thing is manifestly certain, that unless it should be done, those portions of California above referred to must ever remain comparative deserts. Therefore, whatever laws may be passed by Congress tending to encourage and promote the reclamation of these desert lands, by irrigation, will be beneficial, not only to this State but to the world at large, for the reason (to use an ancient Chinese proverb) that "whoever causes two blades of grass to grow where but one grew before, is a benefactor of and deserves the gratitude of mankind.” RAILROADS. These civilizers of mankind have been in California, as everywhere else, potent agents in developing the slumbering wealth of the country. Mountains have been bored, burning deserts have been crossed, and valleys, almost inaccessible to the agricultural pioneer, and remote from the highways of commerce, have been reached by the iron horse, thriving settlements and villages have sprung up, and the cheerful voice of prosperous industry is now heard where a short while since the wild beast had his lair. Probably nowhere on earth has the railroad builder shown so much enterprise and taken so many risks as in California. Generally, railroads are only built through well settled countries, but in California, in many instances, they have been laid through regions almost destitute of population, the projectors trusting to the subsequent settlement of the country to make a profitable carrying business. This is especially true in relation to the Southern Pacific Road, which during the last year was completed as far as the Colorado River. This road has been constructed in the most substantial manner, and at immense expense, through arid plains, over rugged mountains, and hundreds of miles across burning deserts, as far as the town of Yuma, on the Colorado River, through a country that can give but little carrying business until redeemed by irrigation from the dominion of desolation. A large amount of the profits of the paying roads-of California must have been expended in the construction of this road, and large sums must still be expended in defraying the expenses of running the same before it can be made profitable by reaching the rich agricultural and mineral regions of Eastern Arizona. Very respectfully, &c., your obedient servant, Hon. J. A. WILLIAMSON, H. G. ROLLINS, United States Surveyor General for California. Commissioner General Land Office, Washington, D. C. Remarks. A.-Statement of contracts entered into by the United States surveyor general for California with deputy surveyors, for the survey of public lands during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1877, and payable out of the public appropriation ($23,500) for that year. Sept. 11, 1876 Survey the exterior boundaries and complete the Mount Diablo. Sept. 11, 1876 Survey the exterior boundaries and complete the .do 526 46 Richards released at his own request Plats and field notes transmitted count closed. Do. ас This contract canceled at the request of E. J. Weston. 534 52 Plats and feld notes transmitted; account closed. Survey completed; field notes on file. Plats and field notes transmitted; account c'osed. . Do. W. P. Reynolds. Complete the subdivision of township 13 north, range 3 west. Mount Diablo.. Sept. 18, 1876 Complete the subdivision of township 28 north, Oct. 27, 1876 Survey of the meander lines of the Pacific Ocean Humboldt in township 5 south, range 2 east. ...do San Bernardino Mount Diablo A.-Statement of contracts entered into by the United States surveyor general for California, &c.—Continued. Remarks. Mr. Perris released at his own request ; bal Plats and field notes transmitted; ac count closed. Name of deputy. Date of con Location of field work. Meridian. tract. Amount of Returned Fred. T. Perris Nov. 3, 1876 Complete the survey of fractional township 1 north, San Bernardino. $450 00 range 4 west. range 1,044 00 $1,061 92 327 80 Nov. 13, 1876 Complete the subdivision of township 1 south, 15 west. Nov. 14, 1876 Complete the subdivision of township 5 north, Nov. 16, 1876 Complete the subdivision of township 24 north, Nov. 17, 1876 Complete the subdivision of township 29 south, 996 78 Nov. 17, 1876 Complete the subdivision of township 28 south, do 972 00 1,020 79 Do. 600 00 Dec. 12, 1876 Complete the subdivision of township 17 south, .do 162 00 183 96 Mar. 26, 1877 range 15 west. Complete the subdivision of township 11 north, San Bernardino. 100 00 42.00 261 00 Survey made, field notes examined an found to be incorrect; returned to department for correction. Deputy in the field. Apr. 25, 1877 Complete the subdivision of township 17 north, Mount Diablo... range 6 west. May 25, 1877 Complete the subdivision of township 9 south, H. G. ROLLINS, United States Surveyor General for California. |