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ticle, up the middle of that river to the point where the parallel of 31 deg. 47 min. north latitude crosses the same; thence due west one hundred miles; thence south to the parallel of 31 deg. 20 min. north latitude; thence along the said parallel of 31 deg. 20 min. to the 111th meridian of longitude west of Greenwich; thence in a straight line to a point on the Colorado river, twenty English miles below the junction of the Gila and Colorado rivers; thence up the middle of the said river Colorado, until it intersects the present line between the United States and Mexico.

For the performance of this portion of the treaty, each of the two governments shall nominate one commissioner, to the end that, by common consent, the two thus nominated, having met in the city of Paso del Norte three months after the exchange of the ratifications of this treaty, may proceed to survey and mark out upon the land the dividing line stipulated by this article, where it shall not have already been surveyed and established by the mixed commission, according to the treaty of Guadalupe, keeping a journal and making proper plans of their operations. For this purpose, if they should judge it necessary, the contracting parties shall be at liberty each to unite to its respective commissioner scientific or other assistants, such as astronomers and surveyors, whose concurrence shall not be considered neces? sary for the settlement and ratification of a true line of division between the two Republics. That line shall be alone established upon which the commissioners may fix, their consent in this particular being considered decisive, and an integral part of this treaty, without necessity of ulterior ratification or approval, and without room for interpretations of any kind by either of the parties contracting. The dividing line thus established shall in all time be faithfully respected by the two governments, without any variation therein, unless of the express and free consent of the two, given in conformity to the principles of the law of nations and in accordance with the constitution of eich country respectively.

In consequence of the stipulation in the fifth article of the treaty of Guadalupe, the boundary line therein described, is no longer of any force wherein it may conflict with that here established, the said line being considered annulled and abolished wherever it may not coincide with the present, and in the same manner remaining in full force where in accordance with the same.

ARTICLE II.--The Government of Mexico hereby releases the U. S. from all liability on account of the obligations contained in the 11th article of the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo,* and the said article and the thirty-third article of the treaty of amity, commerce and navigation between the United States of America and the United Mexican States, concluded at Mexico on the 5th day of April, 1831, are hereby abrogated.

ARTICLE III.-In consideration of the foregoing stipulations, the Government of the United States agrees to pay to the Government of Mexico, in the city of New York, the sum of ten millions of dollars, of which seven millions shall be paid immediately upon the exchange

The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo will be found in the first vol. of the Western Journal, page 456 to page 462, and at page 507.

of the ratifications of this treaty, and the remaining three millions as soon as the boundary lines shall be surveyed, marked and established. ARTICLE IV.--The provisions of the sixth and seventh articles of the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo having been rendered nugatory for the most part by the cession of territory granted in the first article of this treaty, the said articles are hereby abrogated and annulled, and the provisions as herein expressed substituted therefor. The vessels and citizens of the United States shall, in all time, have free and uninterrupted passage through the Gulf of California, to and from their possessions situated north of the boundary line of the two countries; it being understood that this passage is to be by navigating the Gulf of California and the river Colorado, and not by land without the express consent of the Mexican Government, and precisely the same provisions, stipulations and restrictions, in all respects, are hereby agreed upon and adopted, and shall be scrupulously observed and enforced by the two contracting governments, in reference to the Rio Colorado, so far and for such distance as the middle of that river is made their common boundary line by the first article of this treaty.

The several provisions, stipulations and restrictions contained in the seventh article of the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, shall remain in force only so far as regards the Rio Bravo del Norte, below the initial of the said boundary provided in the first article of this treaty - that is to say, below the intersection of the 31st deg. 47 min. 30 sec. parallel of latitude with the boundary line established by the late treaty, dividing said river from its mouth upwards, according to the fifth article of the treaty of Guadalupe.

ARTICLE V.-All the provisions of the eighth and ninth, sixteenth and seventeenth articles of the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo shall apply to the territory ceded by the Mexican Republic by the first article of the present treaty, and to all the rights of persons and property, both civil and ecclesiastical, within the same, as fully and as effectually as if the said articles were herein again recited and set forth.

ARTICLE VI. No grants of land within the territory ceded by the first article of this treaty, bearing date subsequent to the twenty-fifth day of September, when the Minister and subscriber to this treaty on the part of the United States proposed to the government of Mexico to terminate the question of boundary, will be considered valid, or be recognized by the United States, or will any grants made previously be respected, or be considered as obligatory, which have not been located and duly recorded in the archives of Mexico.

ARTICLE VII.-Should there at any future period (which God forbid) occur any disagreements between the two nations which might lead to a rupture of their relations and reciprocal peace, they bind themselves in like manner to procure, by every possible method, the adjustment of every difference; and should they still in this manner not succeed, never will they proceed to a declaration of war without having previously paid attention to what has been set forth in article twenty-one of the treaty of Guadalupe for similar cases, which articles, as well as the twenty-second is here re-affirmed.

ARTICLE VIII.-The Mexican Government having on the 5th day

of February, 1853, authorized the early construction of a plank and railroad across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, and to secure the stable benefits of such transit way to the persons and merchandise of the citizens of Mexico and the United States, it is stipulated that neither Government will interpose any obstacle to the transit of persons and merchandise of both nations; and at no time shall higher charges be made on the transit of persons and property of citizens of the United States, than may be made on the persons and property of other foreign nations; nor shall any interest in said transit way, nor in the proceeds thereof, be transferred to any foreign government.

The United States, by its agents, shall have the right to transport across the Isthmus, in closed bags, the mails of the United States not intended for distribution along the line of communication; also, the effects of the United States Government and its citizens, which may be intended for transit, and not for distribution on the Isthmus free of custom-house or other charges by the Mexican Government. Neither passports nor letters of security will be required of persons crossing the Isthmus and not remaining in the country.

When the construction of the railroad shall be completed the Mexican Government agrees to open a port of entry in addition to the port of Vera Cruz, at or near the terminus of said road on the Gulf of Mexico.

The two governments will enter into arrangements for the prompt transit of troops and munitions of the United States, which that government may have occasion to send from one part of its territory to another lying on opposite sides of the continent.

The Mexican Government having agreed to protect with its whole power the prosecution, preservation and security of the work, the United States may extend its protection, as it shall judge wise, when it may feel sanctioned and warranted by the public or international law.

ARTICLE IX. This treaty shall be ratified, and the respective ratifications shall be exchanged at the city of Washington, within the exact period of six months from the date of its signatures, or sooner if possible.

In testimony whereof, we, the plenipotentiaries of the contracting parties, have hereunto affixed our hands and seals at Mexico, the thirtieth (30th) day of December, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty three, in the thirty-third year of the independence of the Mexican republic, and the seventy-eighth of that of the United States.

JAMES GADSDEN,
[L. S.]
MANUEL DIEZ DE BONILLA, L. s.
JOSE SALAZAR YLAREGRUI, [L. s.
J. MARIANO MONTERDE,

L. S.

ARTICLE V.

Agricultural Capacity of California.

TRASK'S GEOLOGICAL REPORT.

We are indebted to the politeness of John T. Trask, M. D., State Geologist of California, for a copy of his "Report on the Geology of the Coast Mountains, and part of the Sierra Nevada, embracing their industrial resources in Agriculture and Mining."

"This Report embraces the examination of a district of country included within 120° 16′ and 122° 32′ west longitude, and from the thirty-fifth parallel to the thirty-ninth degree of north latitude, inclusive of the Coast Mountains and mineral districts." Many objects which we think should be embraced in a thorough geological survey, have been omitted in this; it is nevertheless among the most interesting works of the kind which has come under our notice.

It was not to be expected that a thorough examination and survey embracing all proper objects and details could have been undertaken at this early stage in the history of California, but in our opinion, the State has been quite fortunate in the selection of an individual to make the first official exploration.

The author is a discriminating observer selecting his objects with an eye to their more immediate importance in a practical point of view; and confining his report chiefly to the statement of facts, leaves the reader to indulge in philosophic speculations, and form his own theories.

Hitherto the gold of California has constituted its greatest attraction. But we are persuaded that the time is not far distant when agriculture will become its chief source of wealth and prosperity.

The lively interest we feel in this branch of industry in California, has induced us to omit, for the present, any notice of its mineral resources, and to fill this paper with observations touching the capacity of its soil and climate to produce the necessaries and luxuries of a civilized people.

In an agricultural point of view, the valleys of Sacramento and San Joaquin constitute the leading feature of the State. But owing to the difficulty and perhaps impracticability of irrigating them from streams flowing on the surface, they have been regarded as of little value for agricultural purposes. The author concludes that these valleys may be irrigated by the use of artesian wells. Should his opinion and

calculations in respect to the depth of boring be verified, these valleys are destined to become as famous for their productiveness as the valley of the Nile.

To show the grounds of his opinion upon this subject, we extract the following geographical description of these valleys.

STRUCTURE OF THE VALLEYS OF SACRAMENTO AND SAN

JOAQUIN.

These valleys form a "single geographical formation,"* stretching from the terminal spurs of the Cascade Mountains at the north, to the junction of the Sierra Nevada with the southern terminus of the Monte Diablo range with the thirty-fourth parallel of north latitude. length of the valley is about three hundred and eighty miles in length on an air line, with a breadth of fifty miles at its widest point.

The

The general appearance of the valley is that of an extended plain composed of alluvium, and this opinion would obtain in the mind of any person whose line of travel should lead him over the lower terraces of the plain, or what is denominated its bottom lands. It is only by making a transverse section of this plain that we should be able to arrive at any correct conclusions of its structure, and peculiarities of its formation; by pursuing this course, very distinctive and marked features are observable of different periods of elevation to which this portion of the country has been subjected subsequent to its emergence above the level of the sea.

To arrive at a correct understanding of the formation of the "California Basin," we must first observe the rocks which form its borders, their character, position and relative age; and in doing this it will be necessary to pass beyond either of its margins to ascertain the facts on which an opinion may be founded.

On the east side of the basin and at the distance of fourteen miles from its border, we find the first out-crop of the primitive rocks, (granite) on hills attaining an alevation of about one thousand feet above the sea Resting upon this, we find detached masses of sandstone, which increase to a well defined formation a few miles of the west; immediately below the latter, a bed of slate makes its appearance, having a dip varying from thirty degrees to nearly a vertical position, but as the lower hills are approached, the inclination of these rocks become much less. Below the slate, a conglomerate having an argelaceous cement is found, firm in its texture, with a dip corresponding to the other rocks with which it is associated; the pebbles composing the conglomerate are quartz, jasper, granite and trap; at times this rock is highly ferruginous. The components of the rock are made up from rocks found in the mountains to the east, and must have been formed subsequent to the appearance of the older trapean formations of this part of the country.

Succeeding the conglomerate, which by way of distinction, we will denominate Eocene, another bed of fissile clay slate and aluminous clay occurs, having a thickness of about one hundred feet; these rocks comport in position with the other sedimentary rocks above them, and are found resting directly on the granite, and other igneous rocks far into the interior; in the lower hills their structure is fissile, cleaving

* Col. J. C. Fremont.

† Being similar to the London and Paris Basins, this name will be adopted. This suite of rocks are often confounded with another group, of the same character which appear of more recent date, and are found south of Consumnes river only.

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