Mr. R. L. Harris mentioned the fact that the railroad surveys conducted by himself, for connecting Vallejo and Sacramento, indicated that the latter place was not so much above the sea level as had generally been assumed from barometrical observations, and he believed that the top of the present levee at Sacramento was about twenty-one feet above mean high tide at Vallejo, instead of fifty-six, as previously supposed. If this was true, then the lowlands in the vicinity of Sacramento were in fact, only about one and a half feet above the sea level. The surveys of the coming season would probably enable him to fix this important point with accuracy.
Dr. Gibbons suggested that if the Tule lands in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys were permitted to undergo the natural processes of growth and decay, instead of being annually burned over, the land in question might in time become sufficiently elevated to be inhabited.
Mr. Goodale, who had recently visited Russian America, exhibited a number of implements and weapons of the natives of that region, and gave an account of their use. He also remarked on some of the topographical and geological features of that country.
Regular Meeting, December 16th, 1867.
Vice President Ransom in the Chair.
Thirty-seven members present.
The following gentlemen were elected Resident Members: Messrs. William Hamel, P. B. Cornwall, Horace D. Dunn and W. B. Rising.
Donations to the Cabinet: seven specimens of ores from Gregory Yale, Esq., also, a series of samples in bottles, illustrating the chlorination process of extracting gold from the sulphurets, by the same.