The next range and the last lies upon the bald peaks of the Sierra
Nevadas, and is too much elevated even for timber to grow to any
extent. Their summits are covered eternally with snow, and their sides,
where uncovered, present a barren shingle, or ragged walls of lava. But
little gold is found in this range, and I know of no use of it in the
economy of nature except to hold the world together. The valleys fit
for cultivation, are so cold that vegetation cannot grow, except grass,
which is of better quality where it can grow, than in the two next
lower ranges. This range was also the district of volcanoes, the
extinct craters of which indent the mountains in every direction, and
are now generally lakes and ponds forming the heads of the various
streams. The water in them is very pure and clear; they are well
stocked with trout. By their sides in many places, the ragged
perpendicular walls of lava rise thousands of feet high, black and
gloomy, as it cooled off, when thrown from the bowels of the earth. The
east side of the mountains on the descent to the Carson Valley is well
timbered, and furnishes some good gold diggings, although not very much
prospected. The Carson Valley is perhaps one of the most desirable
farming districts in California. The bottom is very fertile, and
covered with a heavy growth of wild clover, wheat, oats, &c. The plains
by the side of the bottoms are barren deserts covered with wild sage,
and utterly worthless. The climate is very favorable to the growth of
the cereal grains, but the nights are too cold for corn. It is best
calculated for stock growing, and is capable of supporting a population
of many thousands.--The air is very pure, and the water power and water
very abundant, and of excellent quality, the valley being well supplied
with numerous small clear streams of ice cold water, running from the
mountains across the valley, and emptying into the Carson River. The
California railroad, if built by way of the South Pass of the Rocky
Mountains, will follow up the valley of this river, in which case this
fertile valley will soon teem with populous villages of civilized men,
instead of the few squalid, thieving diggers who are now its sole
tenants.

The gold digging of California is much less profitable than it was in
1849, the shallow ravine diggings having been pretty much worked out,
but there is no doubt but that the hills still contain inexhaustible
supplies, which though attended wi