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USA > California > History of California, Volume I > Part 1
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GENERAL LIBRARY -OF THE-
PARK CHURCH -IN- ELMIRA, N. Y. No. 1702
GEN
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 02303 5113
Gc 979.4 B22H v. 1 BANCROFT, HUBERT HOWE. HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA
M. L.
IMY 1 3 63
REFERENCE AMERICANA COLLECTION
THE WORKS
OF
HUBERT HOWE BANCROFT.
THE WORKS
OF
HUBERT HOWE BANCROFT.
VOLUME XVIII.
HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA.
VOL. I. 1542-1800.
SAN FRANCISCO : A. L. BANCROFT & COMPANY, PUBLISHERS. 1884.
Allen County Public Library 900 Webster Street PO Box 2270 Fort Wayne, IN 46801-2270
Entered according to Act of Congress in the Year 1884, by HUBERT H. BANCROFT, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.
All Rights Reserved.
PREFACE.
1216691
THE past of California, as a whole and in each successive phase, furnishes a record not excelled either in variety or interest by that of any New World province. From the time when it was a mere field of cosmographic conjecture, its position, somewhere on the way from Mexico to India, being vaguely fixed by such bounds as Asia, the north pole, Newfoundland, and Florida, it has drawn upon itself a liberal share of the world's notice. The period of Spanish occupa- tion, of spiritual conquest and mission development growing out of Franciscan effort, of quiet pastoral life with its lively social monotony, is a fascinating subject that in no part of America can be studied more advantageously than here. Even the minia- ture struggles between church and state, the polit- ical controversies of the Mexican régime, the play at war and state-craft, are full of interest to the reader who can forget the meagre outcome. On the ocean, as on a great maritime highway, California was visited by explorers and traders from all parts of the world, thus escaping much of the tedious isolation of inland provinces, to the manifest enlivenment of her annals. Over the mountains presently came adventurous path- finders, followed by swarms of Anglo-Saxon im- migrants to seek homes by the Pacific; and their
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PREFACE.
experiences on the overland way, with the dissensions and filibusterings that followed their coming, from the 'Graham affair' to the 'Bear Flag' revolt, furnish matter for a narrative not wanting in dramatic in- terest. Then came the conquest, the change of flag, and the interregnum of military rule under the United States; closely followed by the crowning excitement of all, the discovery of gold, an event that not only made California famous among the nations, but imparted a new interest to the country's past. The gold-mines with their immense yield, the anoma- lous social conditions and developments of the 'flush times,' the committees of vigilance and other strange phenomena, for years permitted no relaxation of the world's interest. And then dawned the latest epoch of industrial progress, of agricultural wealth, of trans- continental railways, of great towns on the Pacific; an epoch that in a measure places California side by side with older states in a career of progressional prosperity.
My resources for writing a history of California are shown in the accompanying list of authorities, and in Chapter II. of the present volume, where a classifica- tion of the authorities is given. Existing printed material for such a history is in the aggregate exten- sive and valuable. The famous collectors and editors of old, such as Hakluyt and Purchas, the standard historians of the Spanish Indies, Torquemada and Herrera, with Mercator, Ortelius, and all the school of cosmographers, aided by such specialists as Vene- gas and Cabrera Bueno, published what was known and imagined of California in the earliest period of its annals. Then the early navigators from the time
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PREFACE.
of La Pérouse and Vancouver gave much atten- tion to the history of the country they visited; and while few of them made the best use of their oppor- tunities, yet their narratives may be regarded as the most valuable material in print, unless we except Palou's missionary annals. Meanwhile Fleurieu and Navarrete, like Forster and Burney, turned their attention to the summarizing of early voyages; and others, like Forbes and Mofras, gave a more practical scope to their researches. Documentary records were printed from time to time in Mexico, and even in California; articles more or less historical found their way into the world's periodicals, and mention of the far-off province appeared in general works on Spanish America. Foreign pioneers, following the lead of Robinson, described in print the condition and prospects of their new home; overland immigrants and explorers, like Bidwell and Hastings and Frémont, pictured the western coast for the benefit of others to follow. The conquest was voluminously recorded in documents printed by the government of the United States, as well as in such books as those of Colton and Cutts, also making California a prominent topic of newspaper mention. From the finding of gold there has been no lack of books and pamphlets published in or about the country; while national, state, and municipal records in type, with the addition of news- papers, have forever abolished the necessity of search- ing the unprinted state and county archives.
Of late there has been manifest commendable diligence on the part of early Californians in his- toric research. Many pioneer reminiscences have been printed in one form or another, one journal
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having been devoted for years almost exclusively to that labor. A few documents of the older time have seen the light, with comments by such men as Taylor and Evans, who, like Stillman, have studied the old voyages. John T. Doyle, besides publishing several historical pamphlets, has edited a reprint of Palou's works. Several men, like Hopkins of San Francisco and Wilson of Santa Cruz, have brought out small collections of California documents. Other memorials of the Mexican time have been translated, printed, and to some extent utilized in periodicals and legal records. Some members of the legal profession, such as Dwinelle, have expanded their briefs into formal history. Several old narratives or diaries of early events, as for instance those of Ide and Sutter, have been recently published. Benjamin Hayes has been an indefatigable collector of printed items on southern California. Lancey has presented in crude form a valuable mass of information about the conquest. Specialists, like McGlashan on the Donner party, have done some faithful work. Particularly active have been the local annalists, headed by Hittell, Soulé, Hall, and Gilbert, whose efforts have in sev- eral instances gone far beyond mere local and personal records, and who have obtained some original data from old residents and a partial study of documentary evidence. And finally there are a few writers, like Tuthill and Gleeson, who have given the world popular and creditable versions of the country's general annals.
The services of the lawyers and legal tribunals in years past merit hearty recognition. My corps of involuntary legal assistants has been more numerous than that of the twenty skilled collaborateurs employed
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PREFACE.
directly by me as elsewhere explained; and though they examined but a small part of the archives, yet they employed the finest talent in the profession, labored for more than twenty years, submitted their work to the courts, and collected, I suspect, larger fees than I should have been able to pay. The notes of these workmen were scattered broadcast, and were practically inaccessible in legal briefs, printed argu- ments, court reports, and bulky tomes of testimony in land and other cases; but I have collected, classi- fied, and used them to test, corroborate, or supple- ment notes from other sources. This duplication of data, and the comments of the profession on the thou- sands of documents submitted alternately to partisan heat and judicial coolness in the crucible of litigation, have not only doubled the value of those papers, but have greatly aided me in making proper use of other tens of thousands never submitted to such a test. And to documentary evidence of this class should be added the testimony of pioneers elicited by interrogators who, through personal interests or the subpæna, had a power over reticent witnesses which I never pos- sessed.
But while much credit is due to investigators of the several classes who have preceded me, the path, so far as original research on an extended scale is concerned, has to this time remained untrodden. No writer has even approximately utilized the informa- tion extant in print. It has now been collected and studied for the first time in its entirety. Yet so much further has the investigation been carried, and so com- paratively unimportant is this class of data, that for
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PREFACE.
a large part of the period covered-namely, from 1769 to 1846-the completeness of my record would not be very seriously affected by the destruction of every page that has ever been printed. Never has it been the fortune of any writer, aspiring to record the annals of his country, to have at the same time so new a field and so complete a collection of original and unused material. I may claim without exaggera- tion to have accumulated practically all that exists on the subject, not only in print but in manuscript. I have copied the public archives, hitherto but very superficially consulted; and I have ransacked the country for additional hundreds of thousands of orig- inal documents whose very existence was unknown. I have also taken statements, varying in size from six to two thousand pages each, from many hun- dreds of the early inhabitants. For details respecting these new sources of information I refer the reader to the list and chapter already cited. It is true that new documents will be found as the years pass by to throw a clearer light on many minor points; but new material-whatever new talent and new theories may do-will necessitate the reconstruction of few if any of these chapters. It is to me a matter of pride that, using the term in the limited and only sense in which it can ever be properly applied to an extended historical work, I have thus been able to exhaust the subject.
Possibly I have at the same time exhausted the patience of my readers; for it is in the HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA that I have entered more fully into de- tails than in any other part of the general work. The plan originally announced carries me from national history into local annals as I leave the south for the
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north; and among the northern countries of the Pacific States California claims the largest space. That this treatment is justified by the extent and variety of the country's annals, by its past, present, and pro- spective importance in the eyes of the world, will not probably be questioned. Yet while the comparative prominence of the topic will doubtless be approved, it may be that the aggregate space devoted to it will seem to some excessive. But such would be the case if the space were reduced by one half or two thirds; and such a reduction could only be made by a radical change in the plan of the work, and a total sacrifice of its exhaustive character. A history of California is a record of events from year to year, each being given a space, from a short paragraph to a long chapter, in proportion to its importance. Any considerable re- duction in space would make of the work a mere chronological table of events that would be intolerably tedious, or a record of selected illustrative events which would not be history. That the happenings to be chronicled are not so startling as some of the des- tiny-deciding events of the world's history, is a state of things for which the writer is not responsible; and while from a certain point of view it might justify him in not writing of California at all, it can by no means excuse him, having once undertaken the task, front telling the whole story. The custom has been in writing the annals of this and other countries to dwell at length on one event or epoch recorded in a book or document the writer happens to have seen, and to omit-for want of space !-- twenty others equally im- portant which have escaped his research, a happy means of condensation not at my command.
HIST. CAL., VOL. I. 2
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PREFACE.
There will be found in these volumes no long-drawn narratives or descriptions. In no part of this series has my system of condensation been more strictly applied. I am firm in the belief that the record is worth preserving, and for its completeness I expect in time the appreciation and approbation of all true Californians. Unless I am greatly in error respect- ing what I have written, no intelligent reader desiring information on any particular event of early Cali- fornian history-information on the founding or early annals of any mission or town; on the development of any political, social, industrial, or religious institu- tion; on the occurrences of any year or period; on the life and character of any official or friar or prominent citizen or early pioneer; on the visit and narrative of any voyager; on the adventures and composition of any immigrant party; on any book or class of books about California; or on any one or any group of the incidents that make up this work-will accuse me of having written at too great length on that particular topic. And I trust the system of classification will enable the reader to select without inconvenience or confusion such portions as may suit his taste.
To government officials of nation, state, and coun- ties, who have afforded me and my agents free access to the public archives, often going beyond their official obligations to facilitate my investigations, most hearty acknowledgments are due. I am no less indebted to Archbishop Alemany of San Francisco and Bishop Mora of Los Angeles and Monterey, by whose au- thority the parochial archives have been placed at my disposal; and to the curates, who with few exceptions have done much more in appreciation of my work
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than simply to comply with the requests of their su- periors, Acknowledgments are also due to Father Romo and his Franciscan associates at Santa Bár- bara for permitting me to copy their unrivalled col- lection of documents, the real archivo de misiones. Nor must I forget the representatives of native Cali- fornian and early pioneer families, duly mentioned by name elsewhere in this history, who have generously and patriotically given me not only their personal reminiscences, but the priceless treasures of their family archives, without which documents the early annals of their country could never have been written. Lastly there are the strong, intelligent, and energetic men of Anglo-Saxon origin, conspicuous among the world's latter-day builders of empire, who have laid the foundations of the fullest and fairest civilization in this last of temperate climes-to these for informa- tion furnished, with a heart full of admiration and trust, I tender my grateful thanks.
1
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CONTENTS OF THIS VOLUME.
CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTORY RÉSUMÉ.
PAGE
History of the North Mexican States, 1520 to 1769-Cortés on the Pacific Coast-His Plans-Obstacles-Nuño de Guzman in Sinaloa-Hur- tado, Becerra, and Jimenez-Cortés in California-Diego de Guz- man-Cabeza de Vaca-Niza-Ulloa-Coronado-Diaz-Alarcon- Alvarado-Mixton War-Nueva Galicia-Nueva Vizcaya-Mission Work to 1600-Conquest of New Mexico-Coast Voyages-Seven- teenth Century Annals-Mission Districts of Nueva Vizcaya-Tepe- huanes and Tarahumares-Jesuits and Franciscans-Revolt in New Mexico-Sinaloa and Sonora-Kino in Pimería-Vizcaino-Gulf Expeditions-Occupation of Baja California-Eighteenth Century Annals of New Mexico, Chihuahua, Sonora, and Baja California, to the Expulsion of the Jesuits in 1767. 1
CHAPTER II.
BIBLIOGRAPHY OF CALIFORNIAN HISTORY.
List of Authorities-A Catalogue of California Books-Taylor's List- Proposed Classification-Periods of History-Sixteen Hundred Titles before 1848-Printed Material-Epoch of Discovery to 1769-Cos- mographies and Voyage Collections-Spanish Epoch 1769-1824- Books of Visitors-Books, Periodicals, and Documents-The Mexican Period, 1824-1846-Voyages-Overland Narratives-First Prints of California-Works of Mexican Authors-Government Documents- Histories-Local Annals-One Thousand Titles of Manuscripts- Archives, Public, Mission, and Private-Vallejo and Larkin-Docu- mentary Titles-Scattered Correspondence-Dictations of Natives and Pioneers-Value of Reminiscences-After the Gold Discovery- Manuscripts-Books Printed in and about California.
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CONTENTS.
CHAPTER III.
THE DISCOVERY OF CALIFORNIA. 1542-1768. PAGE
Origin of the Name-Conjectures-Sergas of Esplandian-Mr Hale's Discovery-Later Variations of the Name-Who First Saw Alta California ?- Ulloa, Alarcon, Diaz-Five Expeditions-Voyage of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, 1542-3-Exploration from San Diego to Point Concepcion-Ferrelo in the North-Voyage of Sir Francis Drake, 1579-New Albion-Drake did not Discover San Francisco Bay-Maps-The Philippine Ships-Galli's Voyage, 1584-Cape Mendocino-Voyage of Sebastian Rodriguez de Cermeñon, 1395- The Old San Francisco-Explorations of Sebastian Vizcaino, 1602-3 -Map-Discovery of Monterey-Aguilar's Northern Limit-Cabrera Bueno's Work, 1734-Spanish Chart, 1742-The Northern Mystery and Early Maps.
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CHAPTER IV.
MOTIVES AND PREPARATIONS FOR SPANISH OCCUPATION.
1767-1770.
State of the Spanish Colonies-Accidental Awakening from Apathy -- Revival of Old Motives-Fear of the Russians-Visitador José de Galvez on the Peninsula-Character and Authority of the Man- Condition of Affairs in Lower California-Instructions and Plans of Galvez for the Occupation of San Diego and Monterey-A Fourfold Expedition by Sea and Land-Vessels, Troops, and Supplies-Por- tolá, Rivera, and Serra-Plans for the Conquista Espiritual-Galvez Consults the Padre Presidente-Sacred Forced Loans-Active Prep- arations-Sailing of the Fleet from La Paz and Cape San Lucas- March of the Army from the Northern Frontier-Loss of the 'San José'-Tidings of Success. 110
CHAPTER V.
OCCUPATION OF SAN DIEGO-EXPEDITIONS BY SEA AND LAND. 1769.
Voyage of Perez in the 'San Antonio'-Arrival in San Diego Bay-A Miracle-Discovery of Santa Cruz Island-Waiting for the Capi- tana-Voyage of Vila in the 'San Carlos'-Fages and his Catalan Volunteers-Instructions by Galvez-A Scurvy-stricken Crew-A Pest-house at San Diego-Arrival of Rivera y Moncada-Crespí's Diary-Camp and Hospital Moved to North San Diego-Coming of Portolá and Junípero Serra-Rennion of the Four Expeditions- Thanksgiving to Saint Joseph-The 'San Antonio' Sent to San Blas-Portolá Sets out for Monterey-Founding of San Diego Mis- sion-A Battle with the Natives-A Mission without Converts ..
126
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CONTENTS.
CHAPTER VI.
FIRST EXPEDITION FROM SAN DIEGO TO MONTEREY AND SAN FRANCISCO. 1769.
PAGE
Portolá Marches from San Diego-His Company-Crespi's Journal-Note on Geography and Nomenclature-Table of Names and Distances- First Baptism in California-Earthquakes in the Los Angeles Region -- An Hospitable People and Large Villages on the Santa Bárbara Channel-Across the Sierra and down the Salinas River-Unsuc- cessful Search for Monterey-Causes of the Error-Northward along the Coast-In Sight of Port San Francisco under Point Reyes -Confusion in Names-Mystery Clearcd-Exploration of the Penin- sula-Discovery of a New and Nameless Bay-Return of the Expe- dition to Monterey and San Diego. 140
CHAPTER VII.
OCCUPATION OF MONTEREY-FOUNDING OF SAN CARLOS, SAN ANTONIO, AND SAN GABRIEL. 1770-1771.
Affairs at San Diego-A Disheartened Governor-California to be Aban- doned-Rivera's Trip to the South-Prayer Answered-Arrival of the 'San Antonio'-Discovery of Monterey-In Camp on Carmelo Bay-Founding of the Presidio and Mission of San Carlos-Despatches Sent South by Land and Sea-Portolá Leaves Fages in Command- Reception of the News in Mexico-Ten Padres Sent to California- Palou's Memorial-Mission Work in the North-Arrival of the New Padres-Stations Assigned-Founding of San Antonio-Transfer of San Carlos to Carmelo Bay-Events at San Diego-Desertions-Re- tirement of Parron and Gomez-Establishing of San Gabriel-Out- rages by Soldiers.
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CHAPTER VIII.
PROGRESS OF THE NEW ESTABLISHIMENTS. 1772-1773.
Events of 1772-Search for the Port of San Francisco-Crespi's Diary- First Exploration of Santa Clara, Alameda, and Contra Costa Coun- ties-Fages Discovers San Pablo Bay, Carquines Strait, and San Joaquin River-Relief Sent South-Hard Times at Monterey- Living on Bear-meat-Fages and Serra Go South-Founding of San Luis Obispo-Events at San Diego-A Quarrel between Command- ant and President-Serra Goes to Mexico-Cession of Lower Cali- fornian Missions to Dominicans-New Padres for the Northern Establishments-Palou's Journey to San Diego and Monterey in 1773.
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CHAPTER IX.
FIRST ANNUAL REPORT; SERRA'S LABORS IN MEXICO. 1773. PAGE
Palon's Report of December, and Serra's in May-Condition of Cali- fornia at Close of the First Historical Period-Names Applied- Presidio and Five Missions-Baptisms, Marriages, and Deaths- Gentiles Friendly-Pre-pastoral Californian Architecture-Palisade Enclosures-Agriculture and Stock-raising-New Presidio Regula- tions of September 1772-Father Junipero in Mexico-Memorial of March-Memorial of April-San Blas Establishment Saved-Action of the Junta-Aids and Reforms-Reglamento-Eighty Soldiers for California-Ways and Means-Serra's Report-Provisional Instruc- tions to Fages-Fiscal's Report-Condition of Pious Fund-Final Action of the Junta-Rivera Appointed to Succeed Fages-Instruc- tions-Preparations of Rivera and Anza~Serra Homeward Bound .. 198
CHAPTER X.
RECORD OF EVENTS.
1774.
Want in the Missions-Anza's First Expedition-The Overland Route from Sonora-Return of Padre Junipero-Rivera Assumes the Com- mand-Departure of Fages-Exploring Voyage of Perez to the Northern Coast-San Diego Mission Moved from Cosoy to Nipa- guay-Coming of Soldiers and their Families-Third Exploration of San Francisco Bay-A Mission Site Selected-First Drive on the Beach to the Cliff and Seal Rocks-Troubles between the Francis- cans and Governor Barri in the Peninsula-Much Ado about Noth- ing-Felipe de Neve Appointed Governor to Succeed Barri-Second Annual Report on Mission Progress 220
CHAPTER XI.
NORTHERN EXPLORATION AND SOUTHERN DISASTER.
1775.
A California-bound Fleet-Franciscan Chaplains-Voyage of Quiros in the 'San Antonio'-Voyage of Ayala in the 'San Carlos'-Voyage of Heceta and Bodega y Cuadra to the Northern Coasts-Discovery of Trinidad Bay-Discovery of Bodega Bay-Death of Juan Perez- Exploration of San Francisco Bay by Ayala-Trip of Heceta and Palon to San Francisco by Land-Preparations for New Missions- Attempted Founding of San Juan Capistrano-Midnight Destruction of San Diego Mission-Martyrdom of Padre Jaume-A Night of Terror-Alarm at San Antonio.
240
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CHAPTER XII.
EXPEDITIONS OF ANZA, FONT, AND GARCES. 1775-1776. PAGE
Anza and his Colony -- Preparations in Mexico and Sonora-Two Hundred Immigrants-Original Authorities-March to the Rio Colorado- Missionaries Left-Itinerary-Map-A Tedious March to San Ga- briel-Anza Goes to the Relief of San Diego-Rivera Excommuni- cated-Anza Brings his Force to Monterey-His Illness-Rivera Comes Nortli and Anza Goes South-A Quarrel-Rivera versus Anza and the Friars-Strange Actions of the Commandant-His March Southward-Insanity or Jealousy-Anza's Return to the Colorado and to Sonora-Explorations by Garcés-Up the Colorado-Across the Mojave Desert-Into Tulare Valley-A Remarkable Journey -- Dominguez and Escalante. 257
CHAPTER XIII.
FOUNDING OF THE PRESIDIO AND MISSION OF SAN FRANCISCO.
1776-1777.
Anza's Exploration of the Peninsula of San Francisco-Itinerary-The Camp on Mountain Lake-Survey of the Peninsula-Arroyo de los Dolores-Trip to the Great River-Blunders of Font in Correcting Crespí-Return to Monterey-Orders for the Foundation-A Hit at the Padres-Arrival of the Transport Vessels-Moraga Leads the Colony to the Peninsula-Camp on Lake Dolores-Coming of the 'San Carlos'-The Presidio Founded-New Exploration of Round Bay and Rio de San Francisco-Flight of the Natives-Formal Dedi- cation of the Mission-Discussion of Date, Location, aud Name- Early Progress-Annals of 1777-Visits of Governor and President and Commandant. .279
CHAPTER XIV.
MISSION PROGRESS AND PUEBLO BEGINNINGS. 1776-1777.
Indian Affright at Monterey-Fire at San Luis Obispo-Affairs at San Diego-Rivera and Serra-Reestablishment of the Mission-The Lost Registers-Founding of San Juan Capistrano-Father Serra Attacked-Founding of Santa Clara-Change of Capital of the Cali- fornias-Governor Neve Comes to Monterey-Rivera as Lieutenant- governor at Loreto-Provincias Internas-Governor's Reports- Precautions against Captain Cook-Movements of Vessels-Neve's Plans for Channel Establishments-Plans for Grain Supply-Experi- mental Pueblo-Founding of San José-Indian Troubles in the South-A Soldier Killed-Four Chieftains Shot-The First Public Execution in California.
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