EDUCATION. The statistics of the California public school system for the year 1865 were as follows: Number of children between the ages of four and eighteen years, 95,067; in attendance in the public schools, 41,370; in private schools, 12,470. The total amount received for school purposes was $870,406.69, an increase over the receipts of 1863 of $286,350.92. The number of schools in the State was 947, taught by 1,155 teachers, in 685 school-houses, of which 69 were rented buildings. There were eight colored schools, with an attendance of 278 children.

There were school funds in each county arising from the sale of the school sections. The State had also a school fund derived from the sale of swamp and other lands, amounting to $696,020, and yielding an income of $48,721.40. The State school tax was half a mill on the dollar, and there was also a county tax the minimum of which was $3 per scholar. The normal school was in a flourishing condition, and had proved of great advantage to the teachers in the schools, in elevating the standard of their qualifications. There were numerous chartered colleges in the State. Some of these had maintained a severe struggle for existence from insufficiency of resources, but had succeeded in attaining a respectable rank among the collegiate institutions of the country; the College of California, especially, occupied a very high position. Some of the Roman Catholic colleges were giving very full courses of instruction.

CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS.-The State Reform School had, in 1865, 47 children under training, and had met with encouraging suceess. There was also an industrial and reformatory school at San Francisco, receiving aid from the State. The State-prison had been greatly improved in its management. The prisoners no longer manifested the spirit of insubordination which some time previously had issued in a mutiny, and was put down at a fearful cost of life. Under the provision for reducing the term of imprisonment as a reward for diligent labor and good behavior, the greater portion of the convicts were striving to gain this reduction of their term of imprisonment.

MINNESOTA.

MINNESOTA was admitted into the Union in 1858, making it the thirty-second State and the nineteenth admitted under the Federal Constitution. It is bounded on the north by British America, the dividing line being formed west of the Lake of the Woods by the forty-ninth parallel of north latitude, and east of that lake by the Rainy Lake River, Rainy and other lakes, and Pigeon River; east by Lake Superior and Wisconsin, from which it is separated by a line drawn due south from the first rapids in the St. Louis River to the

St. Croix River, and by the St. Croix and Mississippi Rivers; south by the State of Iowa, and west by Dakota Territory, from which it is divided by the Red River of the North, the Bois des Sioux River, Lake Traverse, and Big Stone Lake, and a line drawn directly south from the outlet of the last-named lake to the Iowa boundary.

Minnesota lies between forty-three degrees thirty minutes and fortynine degrees of north latitude, and twelve degrees twenty-nine minutes and twenty degrees five minutes of longitude west from Washington. Its extreme length from north to south is three hundred and eighty miles, and its breadth varies from one hundred and eighty-three miles in the middle, to two hundred and sixty-two miles on the south line, and three hundred and thirty-seven miles near the north line. The area of the State is 81,259 square miles, or 52,005,760 acres, being two and seventy-three hundredths per cent. of the total area of the United States.

FACE OF THE COUNTRY.-Lying near the center of the continent, Minnesota occupies the summit of the interior plain of North America, formed by the counterminous basins of the Mississippi, the St. Lawrence, and the rivers flowing into Lake Winnipeg, and at once incloses the head-waters and the navigable limits of the three great converging river systems of the continent. The group of low sand-hills in the north-east part of Minnesota, formed by huge deposits of drifts overlying a local outcrop of the primary and metamorphic rocks, which terminates the Superior basin on the west, forms the "heights of land" between the waters which flow respectively into the Gulf of Mexico on the south, the Atlantic Ocean on the east, and Hudson's Bay on the north. The heights of land rise by scarcely perceptible slopes from the general level, in no instance higher than 1,680 feet above the level of the sea, which is not more than 600 feet above the average elevation of the country. These hills are commonly flat at the top, varying in height from eighty-five to one hundred feet above the surrounding waters. The principal group of these drift-hills is subdivided into several ramifications. A prominent span extends in a southerly direction from the Itasca crest of the Mississippi for perhaps one hundred and fifty miles, known as the Leaf Mountains, and the Coteau du Grand Bois of Nicollet, and forms a low dividing ridge between the waters of the Mississippi and Red Rivers. The crest of the dividing ridge between Lake Superior and the Mississippi is not more than 1,400 feet high; and the highest of the trap summits north of the lake is but 1,475 feet. Lake Superior is 641 feet above the sea. With this exception, the surface of the country is generally an undulating plain, with an average elevation of nearly one thousand feet above the sea, and presents a succession of small rolling prairies or table-lands, studded with lakes and groves, and alternately with belts of timber. Two-thirds of the surface slopes south-east with the waters of the Mississippi, the northern part of the State being nearly equally divided between the alluvial levels of the Red River Valley on the north-west and the broken highlands in the north-east, which are mainly divided by the precipitous streams which flow into Lake Superior and the Rainy Lake chain.

GEOLOGY.-Notwithstanding the large area of Minnesota, the rock formations it contains, so far as they have been explored, appear to be limited almost exclusively to the azoic and lower protozoic groups; and over the greater part of the State these are concealed beneath the diluvial deposits which make the superficial covering of these boundless prairies. The north-west coast of Lake Superior is made up of metaphoric lake and sandstone, intermingled with grits of volcanic origin, and other bedded traps and porphyries. These are intersected by frequent dykes of greenstone and basalt, and among them are occasional deposits of red clay, marl, and drift. Behind this group are traced westward, and along the northern boundary of the State, formations of hornblende and argillaceous slates, succeeded by granite and other metaphoric rocks. These groups extend south-west into the central portions of the State. Along the southern boundary the division formation is found in the extreme west; the Niagara limestone succeeds this toward the east; the next occurs the galena limestone, and then the Trenton limestone and the upper or St. Peter's sandstone, which overlies the Potsdam sandstone. These sandstones crop out up the valley of the Mississippi nearly as far as Fort Snelling, when the lower silurian limestones-which, on both sides of the river, lie behind and over the sandstone-meet in the valley and form the bluffs of the rivers. They are traced up the Minnesota River, curving round and almost reaching the southern boundary of the State again, and cutting off the continuation of the higher groups further northward. Thus, throughout the State, there appears to be no room for the carboniferous group, so that no coal may be looked for. The lead-bearing rocks traced from the Iowa line are of little extent, and probably of little importance.

CLIMATE.--The winters in Minnesota are cold, but generally clear and dry, and the fall of snow is usually light. The summers are warm, with breezy nights, during which occur most of the rains. The general purity of the air and the salubrity of its climate recommend it for the residence of invalids. At the Pembina settlement, under the 49th parallel of latitude, the cold is frequently so great as to freeze quicksilver. According to observations kept by the officers stationed there in January, 1847, the mean temperature of the month, from three observations a day, at 9 A. M. and 3 and 9 P. M., was 121° below zero; and the greatest cold 48° below the same point. The average of sixty-six days' observations was 221° below zero; and the highest point reached in the month of January, 30° above zero. The hottest day in the month of July was 96°, showing a range of 144° between the greatest cold and greatest heat. From the 17th of June to the 17th of July, 1848, the mean temperature was 69°. Even as late as in the latter weeks of March, and as early as in November, the thermometer often falls below zero. Observations made at St. Paul's, in latitude 44° 56′ north, in December, January, and February, of the winter of 1850-51, gave the following results: Clear days, 22; variable, 45; cloudy, 23; rain, 5; snow, 24; and hail, 1. Greatest height of the mercury, 47°; lowest point, 32° 5' below zero; average of the winter,

15° 23'. Thirty-one days the mercury was at or above freezing, and thirty-seven days below zero. The coldest day, (January 30,) it was 20° below; and the mildest, (February 25,) 36° 6' above zero. Winds, north-north-west, 50 days; south-east to east-north-east 20 days; variable, 20 days. The amount of rainy days this winter is stated as unusually large, from which the dryness of the atmosphere may be inferred. The earliest closing of the navigation by ice, between 1844 and 1850, was November 8; the latest, December 8. The earliest opening in the same period was March 31; the latest, April 19. The climate of Minnesota, in some parts, is too severe for Indian corn, but the dryness and steadiness of the cold favor wheat and other winter grains.

LAKES AND RIVERS.-Minnesota is, perhaps, even more deserving than Michigan of the appellation of the "Lake State," as it abounds in lacustrine waters of every size, from lakes of forty miles in extent to small ponds of less than a mile in circuit. These beautiful sheets of water give origin to rivers flowing north, south, and east, some finding their way to the Atlantic through the mighty Mississippi and the Gulf of Mexico; others through the great lakes, Niagara, and the St. Lawrence; and others, again, pass off to the north, and seek the ocean through Hudson's Bay and Straits. The largest of these lakes, with the exception of Lake Superior, are the Lake of the Woods, Rainy Lake, Red, Leech, and Mille Lac, or Spirit Lake. These generally have clear, pebbly bottoms, and are well stocked with fish, among which are whitefish, pike, pickerel, maskelonge, sucker, perch, and trout. Wild rice grows on the borders of many of them, especially at the north. Red Lake, on the 48th parallel, east of Red River, with which it communicates, is divided into two portions, united by a strait of two miles in width, and covers about 600 square miles. Lake of the Woods and Rainy Lake (the former a larger sheet of water, perhaps 100 miles in circuit,) are both on the north-east boundary of the State. Lake Pepin, a beautiful sheet of water, is a mere expansion of the Mississippi in the south-east of this State. The rivers and large streams of Minnesota are almost as numerous as its lakes. The far-famed Mississippi takes its humble origin from Itasca Lake, from whose pellucid waters it issues a rivulet of but a few feet in width, and first meandering in a northeast direction through a number of small lakes, to receive their tribute, it turns to the south, and pursues its lordly way to its far distant exit in the Gulf of Mexico, leaving in its course the shores of nine States. About 800 miles of its length are included within Minnesota, of which 600 are navigable for steamboats, 200 below the Falls of St. Anthony, and 400 above, with two interruptions, however, at Sauk Rapids and Little Falls. The Rum and St. Croix, tributaries of the Mississippi, drain the south-east portion of the State, and the Red River the northern, passing off into Hudson's Bay. It is the outlet of Traverse, Ottertail, Red, and several smaller lakes. It has a course of about 500 miles within Minnesota, though it does not flow directly north more than 200 miles in that distance. The Lake Superior slope is principally drained by the St. Louis and its branches, and by the outlets of that series of small lakes that form the north-east boundary of Minnesota. The great

valley formed by the slopes of Coteau des Prairies and the Coteau du Bois, is drained by the St. Peter's, or Minnesota, and its tributaries This river runs first in a south-east and then in a north-east course, with a total length of from 400 to 500 miles, and is navigable for steamers Its principal branch is the Blue Earth or Mankato River. The St Peter's, with the Crow Wing and Crow Rivers, are the principal tributaries of the Mississippi from the west. The rivers of Minnesota abound in small falls and rapids, which, while they interrupt navigation, furnish extensive water-power. The St. Croix is navigable to Stillwater for large boats, and for small ones to the falls; the Minnesota to Traverse des Sioux, and at high water 100 miles further; the St. Louis twenty miles for large vessels, and the Red River in nearly all parts for either Durham boats or steamboats. The Blue Earth, Rum, Elk, and others are navigable from 50 to 100 miles for steamboats of light draught and flat boats.

The navigable waters within the State have a total shore line of 2,746 miles, and a water line of 1,532 miles. Along the banks of the Mississippi and of some other rivers are high bluffs, forming one of the most interesting and characteristic features of the scenery.

OBJECTS OF INTEREST.-Many natural objects of interest are found throughout Minnesota. The traveler enters her territory ascending the Mississippi, amid beautiful islands, (one of which, Mountain Island, is 428 feet high,) and between cliffs of sandstone and magnesian limestone rising to an elevation of three hundred to five hundred feet. Soon he passes into that beautiful expansion of the river called Lake Pepin, on the east branch of which rises Maiden's Rock, celebrated in Indian tradition, about four hundred feet high; and near the northern extremity of the lake, La Grange Mountain, a headland about 330 feet above the lake, 180 of which, at the base, is sandstone, capped with magnesian limestone. As he proceeds, continuing his ascending voyage, the traveler arrives at the famed St. Anthony's Falls, less celebrated on account of their perpendicular pitch (only 16 feet) than for their accompaniments of wild scenery and their geological interest. The falls are divided by an island, as at Niagara, the greater portion of the water passing on the western side, which is 310 yards wide. The entire descent, including the rapids, is 58 feet in 260 rods. St. Anthony's Falls will no doubt one day become a Western Lowell; indeed, its capabilities as a manufacturing site far transcend those of the town named, when the wants of the country shall call them into requisition. Fountain Cave, two or three miles above St. Paul, is an excavation in the white sandstone, which opens by an arched entrance 25 feet wide and 20 high, into a chamber 150 feet long and 20 wide, along the center of which glides a rivulet, which may be heard from its inner and hidden recesses dashing down in small cascades. The passage becomes very narrow as you proceed up the channel, occasionally opening into small chambers. Mr. Seymour advanced nearly 1,000 feet within the cave without reaching its termination. Brown's Falls are in a narrow stream, the outlet of several small lakes on the west side of the Mississippi. They have a perpendicular descent of 50 feet, and including