USA > California > A history of California: the American period > Part 40
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1 This narrative, frequently re- ferred to in the body of the text, contains the first known description of California by an American writer. It was first published in 1808 in the American Register, v. III. A copy of this work is in the University
Library at Berkeley, but the writer knows of no other copy in the state. In its complete form the article con- tains much that relates to Shaler's ex- periences outside of California waters. This part of the narrative has been omitted here.
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next determined to lay the ship ashore at high water, and endeavor to repair her when the tide should leave her. This experiment was tried without effect, as she buried herself so much in the sand, as to put it out of our power to do anything effectual; but the greatest misfortune was, that, as the tide came in again, we found the ship leak so bad, that both pumps were necessary to keep her free. This demanded an immediate remedy; and as the leak was known to be aft, I ordered the mizen-mast to be cut away in order to come at it. The leak was soon discovered by this means, but so situated that we could apply no other remedy than the lime and tallow that had been previously prepared for her bottom; this, mixed with oakum, was driven down on the leak, and we had the satisfaction to see it reduced by these means to one pump by the time she was afloat. We now burnt a large quantity of lime, which we made into stiff mortar, and put on the first, laying a platform of boards over it, and covering the whole with several tons of stones, to keep it firmly down. This new method of stopping leaks we found to answer very well, as, in the course of a few days, when the mass had consolidated, the ship made very little water. By the 9th of June, the ship was again rigged with a jury mizen- mast, our cargo on board, and we were again ready for sea. On the 12th, we bid adieu to our Indian friends, and left Port Roussillon with the intention of running down the coast, and, if we found the ship not to leak so much as to be unsafe, to run for the Sandwich Islands, where I determined to leave her, and to take passage in some north-west fur trader for Canton.
As one of the most important events of our voyage took place at the island of Santa Catalina and our long stay there gave us an opportunity of observing the manners and genius of its inhabitants, I shall here subjoin a brief descrip- tion of them; to this I shall also add a general account of California, composed from such information as I collected during my voyage to that coast.
California is the northernmost and latest of the Spanish establishments in America. The origin of its name is unknown; it most probably was taken from some term in the native languages of the country. It was first given to the peninsula only, but has since been extended to all the northern country occupied by the Spaniards, the whole of which is now known by the name of the Californias. This country was first visited by the celebrated Sir Francis Drake, who gave it the name of New Albion, but that of California has since prevailed.
The Californias are bounded on the east by the gulf of the same name or Vermillion sca, and the country of the Colorado Indians; on the south and west by the Pacific ocean; and on the north by the unexplored regions of northwest America.
The south point of California, called Cape St. Lucas, is situated in latitude 22° 45' N., and longitude 112º 16' W. from the meridian of Paris. The western side extends in about a northwest direction to the post of St. Francisco, which at present forms the northern frontier of this country, and is situated in latitude 37° 47' N. The eastern coast runs up in a direction little more north- erly, to the head of the gulf, in latitude 31° 38' N .; so that the widest part of the peninsula hardly exceeds thirty leagues.
California is naturally divided by a range of high mountains, called the Sierra Madre, that runs from south to north through its whole extension, and each side is bordered by a number of islands. Those on the western side, that form the canal of Santa Barbara, are St. Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara, Santa Catalina, and Santa Clemente. Several of these islands
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are large and well watered, and most of them are inhabited by Indians not yet converted. Further down is Guadaloupe, in latitude 22° 48' N., sixty leagues from the coast, uninhabited, and no water near its shores. This island is very high, and of about thirty miles circuit.
Ciros [Cerros] is a large island of a triangular form, and about ninety miles circuit; its south point in latitude 28° 3' N., and about twelve leagues from the coast. There are three small islands off the north end of this island, called San Benito, which together form a good harbour; and off the south end lies another small island perfectly barren. Water may be had on Ciros only; it also swarms with sea elephants, and on the others are large numbers of fur seal. There are several other islands further down the coast, but I am un- acquainted with their nature and positions. The islands on the eastern coast are numerous, and some of them large; but they are perfectly barren, and afford nothing of any utility except salt. On this side also, in latitude- is an extinguished volcano, where great quantities of excellent sulphur may be gathered; in the same neighborhood there is an abundance of red ochre.
The climate of California generally is dry and temperate, and remarkably healthy; on the western coast the sky is generally obscured by fogs and haze, but on the opposite side it is constantly clear; not a cloud is to be seen, night or day. The northwest winds blow very strong eight months in the year, on the western coast, with very little interruption; the land breezes at that time are hardly perceptible; but in the winter months they are stronger and regular. In the months of January, February, and March, there are at times very high gales from the southeast, which render most of the bays and harbours on the coast unsafe at that season.
The face of the country is mountainous; the upper division is beautifully interspersed with pleasant and fertile valleys and plains, many of which are covered with fine forests of oak and other timber; these are almost universally remote from the seacoast.
The harbour of San Francisco is formed by the entrance of an immense river, which has been explored but a very little way from thence; otherwise, there are in California none of what would be called rivers in other countries, but many rivulets that run from the highlands into the sea. The lower division is uncommonly barren; it seldom rains there, and there are few springs of water, which grow annually scarcer, insomuch that they have been obliged, on that account, to abandon several missions that were formerly situated in fertile valleys, now parched up with drought; the southern part of the penin- sula lying contiguous to the tropic of Cancer, is better watered and more fertile.
Most of the animals of Europe have been naturalized in California, where they have increased to a great degree: it is said that more than 80,000 cattle run wild in the mountains of the south part of the peninsula. This climate seems to be particularly favorable to horses and mules, as they retain their strength and vigour till past thirty years. The country abounds with deer, hares, foxes, wolves, bears, ounces, panthers, and a species of wild goat called verenda; in Upper California the moose deer is also found in great abundance, and there are great numbers of tufted partridges and quails.
Most of the fruits and vegetables of Europe have also been naturalized in California, where they come to great perfection. The only fruit peculiar to this country, that I have seen, is the pitaya; it is a species of the pricking pear, or Indian fig, and has a most delicious flavour. They also have a plant here
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called the mixcal, which I have never seen in any other country, though I am informed it abounds in New Spain. This plant greatly resembles the aloes in appearance, and grows in great abundance on all the barren shores and mountains of Lower California. The manner of preparing it for use is as follows: when it has come to its point of maturity, which is easily known by the size and roundness of the heads, they begin by cutting off the top leaves, which uncovers the head, that in form very much resembles a cabbage; this they cut off as far down as it is tender: in this state it has a very disagreeable taste, and so acrid as to raise blisters on the skin. When they have a sufficient number of these heads collected, they make a kind of kiln, by scraping away the earth in a circular manner, and lining it with stones, where they heap up a large pile of dry brush, on the top of which they place the heads of mixcal, and set fire to it. When the pile is burned down to ashes, they withdraw the heads, and scrape away the ashes and stones, when they replace the mixcal in the kiln, and cover it with the hot stones and ashes, and the whole with earth when they heap another pile of dry brush on the whole, to which they set fire and leave it. At the end of three days, they open the kiln and withdraw the mixcal, which, in pealing off the outside cinders, is found to be transformed into a fine, transparent, delicious sweetmeat; as every head has a particular flavour, there is found in one kiln a great variety of pineapples, pears, quinces, etc., etc., and of a delicacy and richness of flavour hardly inferior to the best preserved fruits. The mixcal shoots up a stalk of several yards in height, and about the size of a man's arm, on the top of which grows a large yellow flower, in size and form resembling the sun flower; when the seeds ripen the plant dies. I do not know how long this plant is in coming to maturity, but as often as one is cut another springs from the root. This plant grows spontaneously, in great abundance, in the most barren parts, drawing its sustenance chiefly from the atmosphere: with a little care, it might be multiplied infinitely.
In the winter season, the bays and harbours of California abound with geese, brant, ducks, etc .; in some of the islands, as before mentioned, there are great numbers of sea elephants, and fur and hair seals; the sea otter is also found in great numbers, as far down as the 28th degree of latitude. There is a great variety in the quality of the fur of this beautiful animal, which I have reason to think is not entirely the effect of climate: those taken at the mission of San Luis, in latitude of 35°, are no way superior to those that are caught in latitude 28°; and yet the otter that are taken in the canal of Santa Barbara are superior to any, not only on this coast, but to any others that I have seen. This variety is probably owing to the difference of the food on which the animal lives: the climate also undoubtedly has its influence; and the furs of this coast, taken collectively, are certainly inferior to those taken in the high latitudes of northwest America; yet in the Canton market very little distinc- tion is made between them. There are great numbers of whales in all the seas of California, and a great abundance of excellent fish; on the upper coast, sardines and anchovies are so plenty, that immense quantities might be taken in their season. But no encouragement is given to industry in this country; neither their fish nor furs can be introduced into New Spain, without paying a heavy duty.
The Indians that inhabit the shores and islands of the canal of Santa Barbara seem to be a race of people quite distinct from the other aboriginals of the country. They are a handsome people, remarkably sprightly, courteous, and intelligent, and display great ingenuity in all their arts. They make fine
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canoes of small pine boards, sewed together in a very curious manner; these are generally capable of carrying from six to fourteen people, and are in form not unlike a whaleboat; they are managed with paddles, and go with surprizing velocity. They besides make a great variety of curious and useful articles of wicker work, and excellent pots and mortars of stone. The other Indians of this country differ very little among each other in their persons, genius, and manners: they are a dull, stupid people, of the ordinary stature, and far from comely. The fathers informed me, that, notwithstanding their apparent stupidity, they have some rude notions of astronomy; they distinguish the season by the movements of the heavenly bodies, and mark the hours of the night by the positions of the Great Bear and Pleiades. The canoes used on all this coast, except in the canal, are a very rude kind of machines, made of flags. The Indians of the canal have a tradition of a race of white men being shipwrecked on their coast, at some remote period: this they assign as the cause of the great difference in their favour before mentioned.
The inhabitants of California were formerly very numerous. In the journal of a voyage performed by Sebastian Viscayno, in 1602, to explore the western coast, and by Father Gonsag, a Jesuit, in 1746, to explore the gulf of California, by order of the court of Spain, it is remarked, that all along, wherever they passed, they found great multitudes of people. I have touched at a great number of the same places in the course of my voyages to this country, which are now solitary and deserted; not a soul is to be seen, except now and then a straggler from the neighbouring missions. One of the missionaries informed me, that, fifty years ago, they numbered 7,000 souls at the mission of the Purissima, in latitude 26° 30', and that at present they do not exceed fifty persons. At present Lower California is nearly depopulated; no mission there numbers above 350 Indians; not more than three exceed 250; and the greater part have less than fifty persons.2 It is difficult to imagine what can have been the cause of this extraordinary depopulation, in a country where no establish- ments but missions and garrisons have been made. At present, the miserable remains of these people are almost universally infected with the venereal disease, and numbers perish daily, in the most deplorable manner, with that loathsome disorder: as no pains are taken to stop it, there is reason to suppose, that in a few years it will entirely exterminate them. Upper California is still populous, and the same disorder rages there with the same violence. Captain Vancouver speaks in high terms of the successful practice of medicine and surgery by the Franciscan missionaries in this country; I have had a pretty large acquaintance with those gentlemen, and I have not known any one among them who appeared to have the least tincture of any science. This observation may also be extended to the Dominicans, who are a much politer order of men. They were always soliciting medicines and medical advice of me, and lamented the unfortunate situation of the country in that respect; many of them assured me, that there was not in all California one qualified physician or surgeon. I have also reason to think that Captain Vancouver has likewise overrated their abilities in the arts as well as sciences, as they have not as yet erected a single mill in Upper California, though the country abounds in materials and excellent situations, for both wind and water mills. In such circumstances, such a useful, and necessary, and simple piece of mechanism would hardly have been neglected, if they had known how to direct their
2 For a description of the Lower California Missions in 1849, see Appendix C.
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construction. At present, all their grain is ground by the tedious process of rubbing it by hand between stones, or beating it in mortars.
The Spanish population of the Californias is very inconsiderable; by the best information I could obtain, it hardly exceeds 3000 souls, including the garrisons, among which, even the latter, the officers excepted, there are very few white people: it principally consists of a mixed breed. They are of an indolent, harmless disposition, and fond of spiritous liquors. That they should not be industrious, is not surprising; their government does not en- courage industry. For several years past, the American trading ships have fre- quented this coast in search of furs, for which they have left in the country about 25,000 dollars annually, in specie and merchandize. The government [sic] have all used their endeavors to prevent this intercourse, but without effect, and the consequence has been a great increase of wealth and industry among the inhabitants. The missionaries are the principal monopolizers of the fur trade, but this intercourse has enabled the inhabitants to take part in it. At present, a person acquainted with the coast may always procure abundant supplies of provisions. All these circumstances prove, that, under a good government, the Californias would soon rise to ease and affluence.
The government of this country may be considered as altogether military, although civil causes may be carried before the audience of Guadalaxara, in New Spain. The governor rules every thing, and no one undertakes to dispute the legitimacy of his decisions. The missionaries are also under his jurisdiction in civil matters, but he does not interfere with the Indians attached to the missions, except at the request of the fathers, who are their sovereign magis- trates.
The political and military arrangements for the government of the Cal- ifornias are as follows: the whole country is divided into six military districts, called presideos, or garrisons; these are, beginning with the northernmost, San Francisco, Monterrey, Santa Barbara, San Diego, San Vicente, and Loreto. In these presideos are distributed about four hundred cavalry, which forms the whole military force of California; they are each commanded by a lieutenant, except San Vicente, which is not properly a presideo, and is com- manded by an ensign. The presideos furnish the necessary guards to the missions under their protection; generally from three to five soldiers, with a sergeant or corporal, to each mission. The soldiers also do the duty of couriers; and every occurrence of the least consequence is immediately trans- mitted by express to the governor. During the last war, small detachments of artillery were quartered in the principal presideos but they were withdrawn at the peace.
The Californias have, until lately, been under one government of which Monterrey was the capital; but I am informed that they are now separated. The division is at San Diego, and Loreto is the capital of Lower California. I am also informed that considerable reinforcements of troops are ordered to be raised in New Spain for that country.
The plan of civilization in the missions is to instruct the Indians in the Catholic religion, the Spanish language, the necessary arts, agriculture, etc .; but the notion of private property is not admitted among them; so that each mission forms an indivisible society, of which the fathers are the kings and pontiffs. The missionaries of the Franciscan order, in Upper California, have salaries of 400 dollars per annum; the Dominicans that are established below have but 350 dollars. The missions of California may be considered as so
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many valuable estates or plantations belonging to the king of Spain, and capable, in case of a conquest of this country, of furnishing abundant supplies of all kinds of provisions, horses, etc.
I shall give the best account I am able of these missions, as far as I have information respecting them, together with the other establishments in the country, and its principal bays and harbours.
The missions of San Francisco, Santa Clara, and the Pueblo de San Josef, are within the jurisdiction of San Francisco. They are represented by Captain Vancouver as very fertile and flourishing, and are esteemed by the Spaniards to be among the richest establishments in the country.
Santa Cruz, near Point Ano Neuvo, and a pueblo of the same name in its neighborhood, form the northern frontier of the jurisdiction of Monterrey: the first was founded in 1789, and the second in 1790. Between that and Monterrey stands La Solidad, and near the presideo, El Carmelo. Further down the coast are situated San Antonio, San Miguel, and San Luis; the latter is the last to the southward within this jurisdiction. Those missions are none of them far removed from the coast; they are reputed rich by the Spaniards in stock and grain; and the account given by Monsieur de la Perouse of the extraordinary fertility of El Carmelo, justifies that report.
The mission of San Luis is situated from six to twelve miles from the coast, in a fertile valley, watered by several streams; it has 1000 Indians attached to it, and its annual productions are 5000 fanegos of wheat, 1500 fanegos of corn, with barley, oats, and pulse in proportion; it has also vineyards, and a plenty of fruit. The stock belonging to this mission exceeds 1000 head of horned cattle, besides horses, sheep, hogs, goats, etc .; its buildings are said to be excellent; even the habitations of the Indians are of stone and plaster. This mission has a commodious port, and a plenty of good timber.
The Purissima, situated near Point Conception, forms the northern frontier of the jurisdiction of Santa Barbara; it is watered by several streams, and is said to be little inferior to San Luis in fertility and abundance of stock.
Between this mission and Santa Barbara, was founded, in 1804, the mission of Santa Agnes [Inez] about three miles from the coast. It is well watered, is in a fertile spot, and bids fair to be ranked among their richest establishments in a short time. Its productions the first year were 1500 fanegos of wheat, and 500 of corn; the wheat was the production of thirty fanegos sown, that is, fifty for one.
Santa Barbara is situated in the neighbourhood of the presideo; it has 2400 Indians attached to it. I learnt no particulars respecting this mission, other than that it is very rich in stock and grain, vineyards and fruits.
San Buenaventura is situated about eighteen miles below the presideo, half a mile distance from the sea, where there is good anchorage and safe landing; it stands on the left margin of a charming valley, and has an extensive plain to the southeast of it, which, when I was there, was covered with cattle, and the valley appeared to be cultivated as far as the eye could reach. This mission was founded in 1784; it has 1200 Indians attached to it, and its stock of cattle is said to exceed 15,000 head, besides horses, mules, sheep, hogs, etc .; and its production in grain, wine, etc., are equally abundant.
San Fernando is situated between Buenaventura and the Pueblo de los Angeles; whereabouts I am unable to say, or how far from the sea: the Span- iards report it to be a flourishing establishment.
The Pueblo de los Angeles is about twenty-five or thirty miles in a north-
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west direction from the bay of San Pedro, and forms the southeastern bound- ary of the jurisdiction of Santa Barbara. This village is composed of about 100 families, many of whom are in easy circumstances, and some possess from 3000 to 5000 head of cattle. This part of the country is fertile, and produces large quantities of grain and pulse; they are also rapidly advancing in the culture of the vine, and the wine produced here is of a good quality.
San Gabriel is situated about twelve or fifteen miles north from the bay of San Pedro, and forms the northwest frontier of the jurisdiction of San Diego. I learnt few particulars respecting this mission. It has 1200 Indians attached to it, and is reported to be very rich in Californian wealth, that is, cattle, grain, and fruits; they informed me that last year sixty casks of wine were made at San Gabriel.
About thirty-five miles down the coast stands San Juan Capristano [Capis- trano], close to the sea shore, where there is safe anchorage and good landing nine months in the year. The situation of this mission is very romantic and delightful; in a charming valley, thickly shaded with fine trees, through which runs a fine stream of water. I learnt few particulars respecting the mission of San Juan, but they say it is not inferior in wealth to any in California.
Not far from San Juan Capristano is another mission, called San Luis Rey, of the resources and situation of which I am utterly ignorant.
Near the presideo of San Diego, is situated the mission of the same name. I know very little of this establishment, which is the last to the southward of the Franciscan order, except that it is esteemed inferior, in most respects, to all their others.
The missions of Lower California are hardly worth describing. San Miguel and Santa Catalina are the first, and terminate the jurisdiction of San Diego; they have each about 250 Indians, and produce little or nothing more than what is sufficient for their subsistence. San Thomas, San Vicente, San Domingo, and Rosario lie along the coast from the bay of Todos Santos, down to the 30° of latitude, and, with a mission lately established in the mountains, form the jurisdiction of San Vicente. These missions are of small importance; their Indian population are from 200 to 300 souls each. San Domingo is the best, and yields annually about 1500 fanegos of wheat, with other articles in proportion: it also produces a considerable quantity of very good wine, and feeds several thousand head of cattle. The others likewise produce a little wine, except Rosario which yields nothing, and is dependent on its neighbors for subsistence.
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