The contract embraced, also, the making of soundings and the marking out of a channel through Suisun Bay.

We hired, in San Francisco, a small metallic boat, with a sail, laid in some stores, and proceeded to the United States ship Ohio, anchored at Saucelito, where we borrowed a sailor-boy and lead-lines with which to sound the channel.

We sailed up to Benicia, and, at General Smith's request, we surveyed and marked the line dividing the city of Benicia from the government reserve.

We then sounded the bay back and forth, and staked out the best channel up Suisun Bay, from which Blair made out sailing directions.

We then made the preliminary surveys of the city of "New York of the Pacific," all of which were duly plotted; and for this work we each received from Stevenson five hundred dollars and ten or fifteen lots.