During the past year there has been rather a frequency in the occurrence of the phenomena of earthquakes; and, with the exception of two, there have been none that were particularly remarkable either for extent of surface affected or severity of action. In one, that of the ninth of January, the greatest extent of surface, and greatest intensity of action was manifest. Its principal force seems to have been expended in the more southerly portions of our State, and in the immediate vicinity of those volcanic (?) vents found at different localities upon the Colorado Desert. It is manifest, however, that this shock and those which preceded it on the night of the eighth, had their origin to the west of our coast, as the times of occurrence of the shock at different localities most fully prove. This matter was fully discussed in my previous paper, “On the direction and velocity of the earthquake of January 9th, 1857,” read before this Society March 30th, which will be found in their proceedings. The other shock of greatest extent, on the second of September, extended over an area of about two hundred miles, but was marked by no particular severity or injury, except that of fright to those who experienced it. The whole number that can be authenticated as occurring during 1857, amounts to seventeen, being greater than the number recorded in 1853 and 1856; and it would seem probable from our records that this number is the maximum to which we shall probably be subjected in this State. From the Sandwich Islands we have no news of earthquakes save one, which is here inserted: “A very severe shock of earthquake was felt at Kawaihae, Hawaii, on the twenty-fourth of February, the most severe that the residents there have had for many years.” The arrival of the whaling fleet from the Northern seas brings no intelligence of the occurrence of these phenomena, as was the case of the preceding year; hence, the presumption is, that subterranean action has not been violent in those distant regions during the year just passed. On the coast of Mexico, and inclusive between the twenty-fifth and thirty-second parallels, we have received intelligence of the occurrence of one earthquake, which appears to have been felt on both shores of the Gulf of California for a distance of nearly two hundred miles, both north and south. We have no records south of that point. The shocks which we can authenticate within the limits of our own State, are as follows: January 9th.—This shock was felt from Sacramento to the southern boundary of the State. It was preceded by three smart shocks the night and morning previous. At Santa Barbara water was thrown over the surface from a shoal well, seven feet deep, the water in which was less than three feet in depth.