Upper California to Illustrate the Paper by Dr. Coulter

Uncommon map of California published to accompany an 1835 report by the Royal Geographical Society.

This rare map of ‘Upper California’ presents an early representation of interior topographic detail and is one of the first printed maps to show Rancho San Bernardino. It includes the coast between San Francisco and Baja (or Lower) California and as far inland as the Rocky Mountains. Other names within the image include Monteray (Monterrey), S. Barbarra (Santa Barbara), and the Pueblo (de Los Angeles).

San Francisco is located in an interesting position, away from the bay, and two massive ‘Tule Lakes’ are shown adjacent to the Snowy Mountains. These unconfirmed bodies of water are described in the original text accompanying the map (unfortunately not present) as follows;

“The Tule Lakes are now known not to exceed 100 miles in total length, being fordable in the dry season in several places ; and notwithstanding their many tributaries from the eastward, they discharge, during a considerable portion of the year, very little, if any, water into San Francisco. It is only immediately after the rainy season, which is usually ended by February, and during the thaw of the snow on the high range of hills between the lakes and great sand plain, that there is any considerable discharge of water from them in this direction. Such at least is the account given by the American hunters.”

This excerpt was taken from Notes on Upper California by Thomas Coulter, presented to the Royal Geographic Society in March of 1835. The map was engraved by C. Bradbury and published by John Murray in London to accompany the Journal of the R.G.S. in which the article was originally issued (not included).

Source: Notes on Upper California (Google Books)