  High quality large Bi$_2$Sr$_{2-x}$La$_{x}$CuO$_6$(La-Bi2201) single crystals
have been successfully grown by the traveling solvent floating zone technique.
The samples are characterized by compositional and structural analyzes and
their physical properties are investigated by magnetic susceptibility and
resistivity measurements. Superconducting samples with sharp superconducting
transitions are obtained covering a wide range of doping from overdoped
(x<0.40), optimally-doped (x~0.40), underdoped (0.40<x<0.84) to heavily
underdoped without superconducting transition (x>0.84). Crystals as large as
~40 * 2.0 * 1 mm3 are obtained for x=0.73. Sharp superconducting transition
with a width less than 2 K and nearly perfect Meissner signal of
superconductivity are achieved for x=0.40. The availability of the La-Bi2201
single crystals will provide an ideal system to study the physical properties,
electronic structure and mechanism of high temperature superconductivity
