mathematical exaftnels. The whole had a mod beautiful appearance of 1794- * 1 November.
human ingenuity and labour; but fince it is not poffible, from the rude '---- »---- '
and very humble race of beings that are found to be the native inhabitants
of this country, to fuppofe they could have been capable of railing
fuch a ftrufture, its being the produflion of nature, cannot be quef-
tioned, and it may not be prepofterous to infer, that it has been from
fimilar phaenomena that man has received that architectural knowledge,
by which he has been enabled to raife thofe malfy fabricks, which have
flood for ages in all civilized countries.
In this excurfion I had an opportunity of feeing what before I had
been frequently given to underftand ; that the foil improved in richnefs
and fertility, as we advanced from the ocean into the interior country.
The fituation we had now reached was an extenlive valley between
two ranges of lofty mountains, whofe more elevated parts wore a fteril
and dreary afpect, whilft the fides and the intervening bofom feemed to be
compofed of a luxuriant foil. On the former fome pine trees were produced
of different forts, though of no great fize, and the latter generally
fpeaking was a natural pafture, but the long continuance of the dry
weather had robbed it of its verdure, and had rendered it not very in-
terefting to the eye; yet the healthy growth of the oak, both of the
Englilh and holly-leaved kind, the maple, poplar, willow, and ftone
pine, diftributed over'its furface as well in clumps as in Angle trees, with
a number of different Ihrubs, plainly fhewed the fuperior excellence of
the foil and fubftratum in thefe fituations, to that which was found bordering
on die fea fhore.
The fame uninterrupted ferenity of the weather continued, and on
friday evening the courier from St. Diego returned, but it brought no
kind of intelligence whatever; and the 24th being the day fixed for the
return of the exprefs to Mexico, I embraced that opportunity for tranf-
mitting to the Admiralty a brief account of our tranfaftions during the
preceding fummer, and a copy of our furveys made in that and the former
year, which hadbeen prepared for that purpofe. Thefe documents,
agreeably to the advice of the governor and our other Spanilh friends, I
took