USA > California > El Dorado County > Historical souvenir of El Dorado County, California : with illustrations and biographical setches of its prominent men & pioneers > Part 2
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But the idea of acquisition of the country on the Pacific coast did not die out ; it was not even allowed to rest for a long time. For this time it was a simple monk, Father Eusebio Francisco Kino, or Kuhn as his name in his native country was, who, working under a vow, undertook the task which Spain, then the first power on earth, with all her unlimited means, had been unable to accomplish. Father Kino on his first visit to California, in 1633, when he was in charge of the religious service of the Otondo expedition, had made the question an especial study of his life, and- became convinced of the feasibility of his plan, which consisted in the conversion of the inhabitants, and saving their souls, but not the conquest of a kingdom.
His plan was to go back to the country to teach the Indians the doctrine of the Christian faith, and culti- vate them by showing them how to support themselves better by tilling the soil, and to improve the race on the land and through the experience of industry ; thus gaining a rich province to final incorporation with the dominion of the Spanish crown. And with fanatical ardor immutable, notwithstanding the un- cheering and fruitless outlook, which promised defeat and martyrdom as the probable result, he started on the preliminary work of his great undertaking on the 20th day of October, 1686, traveling over Mexico and preaching for the cause he represented. Fortune fol- followed his steps, and soon he met two congenial
4
HISTORY OF EL DORADO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
spirits, Father Juan Maria Salva Tierra, the one, and Father Juan Ugarte, another, who, uniting their execu- tive abilities with his own, the result was a subscrip- tion of sufficient funds to go on with the actual work. Between the time they had procured a warrant from the King for the Order of the Society of Jesu, to enter upon the conquest of California at their own expense, for the benefit of the crown of Spain; and after eleven years constant petitioning and urging this warrant, was issued February 5, 1697.
On October 10th, the same year, already an expedi- tion, made up of one small vessel and a long boat, loaded with the necessary provisions, and the rude structure and furniture for a small church, with this Father Salva Tierra, accompanied by six soldiers and three Indians, started from the Mexican coast for the point where to put in operation Father Kino's long- cherished plan, which point on the eastern coast of the peninsula, they reached on October 19, 1679; about the landing Venegas says :-
"The provisions and animals were landed, together with the baggage ; the Father, though the head of the expedition, being the first to load his shoulders. The barracks for the little garrison were now built and a line of circumwallation thrown up. In the center a tent was pitched for a temporary chapel; before it was erected a crucifix with a garland of flowers. "The image of our Lady of Loretta, as patroness of the
This plan of subduing the Indians proved to be conquest, was brought in procession from the boat, and successful, and remittances for the support of the mis- placed with the proper solemnity."
On the 25th of October, formal possession was taken of the country in " His Majesty's Name," and has never since been abandoned.
The work of conversion was immediately initiated with explaining the catechism, saying prayers of rosary and distributing boiled corn to the Indians afterwards. All went well until the Indians thought that they could have the corn without prayers; they formed a conspiracy to kill the garrison and have a great feast on the 31st, only twelve days after the landing. The Indians, numbering about five hundred, attacked the fort, but were set back flying so soon the little garrison opened fire on the masses, after all warnings and beg- ging to go away by the priest had been responded to by a number of arrows from the natives. The Indians having been taught respect by means of the soldiers' guns, begged for peace, and came to church regularly to get their lot of corn and Christianity.
"In the building part," says Venegas, " Father Ugarte was master, overseer, carpenter, bricklayer and laborer. For the Indians, though animated by his example, could neither by gifts nor kind speeches, be prevailed upon to shake off their unborn indolence, and were sure to slacken if they did not see the Father work harder than any of them ; so he was the first in fetch- ing stones, treading the clay, mixing the sand, cutting, carrying and barking the timber, removing the earth and fixing materials." And at some other place he relates : " He endeavored, by little presents and ca- resses to gain the affections of his Indians; not so much that they should assist him in the building as that they might take a liking to the catechism, which he explained to them as well as he could, by the help of some Indians of Loretto, while he was perfecting himself in their language. But his kindness was lost on the adults, who, from their invincible sloth, could not be brought to help him in any one thing, though they used to be very urgent with him for pozoli and other eatables. He was now obliged to have recourse to the assistance of the boys, who being allured with sweetmeats and presents to come to work, were ani- mated by offered reward, and often enough the father had to make himself a boy with boys. This enabled him to erect his poor dwelling and church, and learn their language."
sions were only received from Mexico, until the In- dians were Christianized and educated to work, and the missions, with the aid of the fathers, could support themselves. In the first eight years, there were six missions established, and fifty-eight thousand dollars expended therein, the whole amount used for mission- ary purposes and the support of the Indians that were subject to theni foots up to $1,225,000.
In 1767 the Jesuits were expelled from the Spanish dominion, and forced to abandon their work in Lower California ; but they left behind them a record of hav- ing paved the way and solved the problem how to sub- due and control the savages ; they being the pioneers in the culture of planting grape and making wine, the first vintage having been sent to Mexico in 1706. They taught the Indians to work on the loom, and manufactured cloth as early as 1707, and in 1719 launched the first vessel, the Triumph of the Cross, ever built on California soil, this makes them the
For seventy years those devoted fathers struggled pioncer manufacturers also. Of their number two had on with their work of conversion, always using pa- to die the death of martyrs, at the hands of the na- tives. It had been a part of the original plan of the father Jesuits to extend the missions on up the coun- try along the coast, until the chain of connection had |been formed from La Paz in the south to those fabu- tience and kindness, and teaching by their own exam- ple, clearing ground for cultivation, making trenches to convey the water for irrigation, digging holes for planting trees, and preparing the ground for sowing.
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EARLY DISCOVERIES AND EXPLORATIONS.
lous Straits of Anian, but they were not permitted to perfect this plan ; at the time of their banishment they left for their successors, the Franciscans, sixteen flour- ishing missions and thirty-six villages, as testimonials of the wisdom of their rule.
After the Jesuits the Franciscan order of the Catho- lic Church got possession of the missions established on the peninsula; but soon the Dominicans came to the front with a claim to a portion of them. The Franciscans not hesitating a long time declared it a class of property that should not be segregated, and for this reason their willingness to yield the whole rather than a part, and, eventually, turned it all over to the Dominicans.
When the Franciscans declared, with such readi- ness, to give up the possession of the missions to the Dominicans, it was done with the purpose to start further north and take possession of the country, up to this time nearly entirely unknown, but always be- lieved to be the land where legend had placed the gold and silver mines from whence the Aztecs had taken their treasure.
'That part of the expedition designated to go over- land was also divided into two companies: Fernando Revera Moncada commanded the one to start March .24th, and after a journey of forty-one days he reached the place of general rendezvous on the 14th of May, the first white man to cross the southern deserts of our State. Then Gaspar de Portala, governor of Lower Califoinia, took command of the remaining part of the land expedition ; with him was the president, under whose charge the whole enterprise was placed : Father Frances Junipero Serra, the pioneer of California; they set out on May 15th from the same point, where Revera had started, and reached San Diego on Tulv 1, 1769.
CHAPTER 11.
HISTORY OF THE MISSIONS IN (UPPER) CALIFORNIA.
Father Junipero Serro-Possession taken of the Country and first Mission founded-Ceremony of founding a Mission- Governor Portala going overland in search of Monterey --- First battle in California-Portala passed Monterey to discover the Bay of San Francisco-Traditional derivation of the name-The whole enterprise coming near to be broken up-The final arrival of the provision vessel saves the abandonment-Two more expeditions to discover Monterey-Arrival in Monterey harbor, and possession taken of the Country, 1770-Missions of San Carlos, San Antonio, San Gabriel and San Luis Obispo-First irriga- tion in California-Portala returning to Mexico-Father Junipero following, is reaping the harvest of Portala's seed -Capt. Bautista Anza laying down the road overland from Mexico to California-Father Crespi on the Sacramento River-Mission San Diego attacked by a large body of In- dians- The San Carlos the first vessel to sail into the Bay of San Francisco-Mission San Francisco de los Dolores and Presidio of San Francisco founded-Father Junipero Serra's death-Time and the Russians become the first factors to create some hindrances to the Missions-The Mexican revolution proves disastrous enough to bring in her conse- quences the downfall of the Missions.
The Spanish crown, in full accord with this plan, it having been her object since the report of the discov- eries by Viscaino in 1603, issued an order for the dis- covery of the bays on the upper coast and an occupa- tion of the country ; in response to which order an expedition was fitted up and started in 1769, under the management of Junipero Serra, a Franciscan monk. The general object of this expedition is laid down by Joseph de Galvez as being : "To establish the Catholic religion among a numerous heathen people submerged in the obscure darkness of paganism, to extend the dominion of the King, our Lord, and to protect the peninsula from the ambitious views of for- eign nations." The expedition, it was concluded, should be divided to be sent partially by sea, the re- mainder to go from Mexico overland, by the way of the most northerly of the old missions. On account of this, on January 9, 1769, the ship San Carlos sailed Father Frances Junipero Serra, or Father Junipero, as he was called, the pioneer of California, was born of humble parents on the Island of Majorca, in the Mediterranean Sea, on November 24, 1713, and from his infancy was educated with the view of becoming a priest. After having completed his studies in the convent of San Bernardino, he went to Palina, the capital of the province, to get the higher learning necessary for the vocation, and at his own request, he was received into the Order of St. Francis; at the age of sixteen. He sailed from Cadiz for America August first from La Paz, followed on February 15th by the San Antonio; the San Joseph sailed last, on June 16th, and that is the last that was heard from her, the ocean had swallowed her together with the whole crew. The vessels were all loaded with provisions, numerous seeds and grain to sow, farming utensils, church ornaments, furniture and passengers, and were destined for the port of San Diego. The San Anto- nio, after a trip of 24 days, arrived on the 11th of April, having lost eight of her crew with seurvy. Twenty days later the San Carlos made her labori-| 28, 1749, to bring the mission to the heathen of the ous way into port, having lost the whole crew, but the
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New World, and landed at Vera Cruz, whence he captain, the cook and one seaman left to tell of the went to the City of Mexico, joined the college of San ravages of that terrible scourge of the early navigators. | Fernando, and was made President of the Missions of
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HISTORY OF EL DORADO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
Sierra Gorda and San Saba. He was a man of eloquence and enthusiasm, of strong personal magnet- ism and power; possessing to a remarkable degree those peculiarities of character found with martyrs. He had gained a wide reputation among the Indians in Mexico, and was the great revivalist of his church ; frequently he would arouse his congregation almost to a frenzy by his wild, enthusiastic demonstrations of religious fervor. He would beat himself with chains and stones, and submit to other tormentings, to show the apathetics the need of erueifying the flesh in penance for their sin. On this occasion his self- inflicted punishment was so great that one, whe beheld it, rushed up to the altar, and seizing the links from his hands, exclaimed, " Let a sinner suffer penance, father, not one like you," and commenced beating himself, not ceasing until he fell to the floor in a swoon. Such was the man and his power over others, to whom was committed the task of a "spiritual conquest " of Upper or New California, arriving with the last division of the expedition at San Diego July 1, 1769, just one hundred and fourteen years ago, to start a new era, from which dates the commence- ment of the history of the white race in our State.
Of the whole expedition, by vessels and overland, including the .converted Indians, who accompanied him, there were two hundred and fifty souls on the ground, as Father Junipero calculated, men enough for the founding of the intended three missions-at San Diego, at Monterey, and one midways between bothı-for cultivation of the soil, grazing the land and exploring the coast: but there was want of sailors and provisions, so many of the former had died on the voyage. And to make up this deficiency, the San Antonio was ordered to sail for San Blas, to procure more seamen and supplies. She sailed on July 9th, and lost nine more of her crew before reaching her destination.
Between the time they had taken formal possession of the country for Spain, and went on with the work of establishing a mission at San Diego. Father Francis l'alou's writing, published 1787, tells us about the ceremonies connected with the founding of a mission, as follows :
"They immediately set about taking possession of the soil in the name of our Catholic monarch, and thus laid the foundation of the mission :-- the sailors, muleteers and servants set about clearing away a place, which was to serve as temporary church, hanging the bells (on the limb of a tree) and forming a grand cross. *
* * * The venerable l'ather President blessed the holy water, and with this the rite of the church, and then the holy cross; which, being adorned as usual, was planted in front of the
church. Then its patron saint was named, and having chanted the first mass, the venerable President pro- nounced a most fervent discourse on the coming of the Holy Spirit and the establishment of the mission. The sacrifice of the mass being concluded, the Veni Creator was then sung; the want of an organ and other musical instruments, being supplied by the continued discharge of firearms during the ceremony, and the want of incense, of which they had none, by the smoke of the muskets."
This done, the next thing in order of gaining con- verts was to fit out an expedition under Governor Portala's command, to go overland in search of the bay of Monterey, where the next mission was to be founded. This expedition started on July 14th, with all but the six available military force, Father Junipero showing great confidence in the natives, deemed by him these six soldiers sufficient protection for himself. and the mission, which confidence came very near proving disastrous. The practice of making converts being here about the same as in Lower California, after the first unsuccessful efforts the Fathers found that they had to get the Indians' confidence by learning their ways and language : they cared nothing for the food given them, but they were quite willing to take anything else, especially cloth. For this they would go out into the bay in the night-time, and eut pieces out of the sail of the vessel, and soon getting tired of getting things by rations, they united in conspiracy, like those Indians with Father Tierra ninety years before at la Paz, to overthrow the little garrison and divide the properry among themselves, to conclude with a great feast. This happened just a month after the founding of the mission, and one day, when one of the padres with two soldiers had gone on board the ship they tried to take by surprise the then lessened force of four soldiers, two padres, a carpenter and a blacksmith : but the latter, a brave and fearless man, led the defense by rushing upon the savages with the war-cry, " Long live the faith of Jesus Christ, and die the dogs, his enemies !" and the result was a defeat and a severe loss of dead and wounded to the Indians. The loss in the mission was not so considerable as under the circumstances might be expected ; one of the converted Indians had been killed, one wounded, and a soldier, a priest, and the brave blacksmith, were among the injured.
This was the first battle in California, so far as his- torical record is able to prove up, it occurred August 15, 1769 .*
" The very same day in the old world was born, on an island in the Mediterranean Sea, a genius of war, whose word became rule all over Europe, and whose life's result was a total change of history and geography, of the greater part of the civil world.
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7
HISTORY OF THE MISSIONS IN UPPER CALIFORNIA.
In the meantime Portala, with sixty-five soldiers followed the route up the coast to Monterey where he planted a cross without knowing that it was the place he was searching for, but passed further on until he, after more than three months since his departure, on October 30th, arrived at a bay which Father Crespi, who was with the party and kept the journal; says: "They at once recognized." This is the first unquest- ioned record of the San Francisco bay, no evidence being in existence that it ever had been seen before; but in 1742, on board of a captured East India gal- leon was found a sailing chart, or map of the Pacific | coast, dated 1740, on which a bay resembling in any way that of San Francisco, at or near the point where when visited by the expedition of San Sebastian Vis it is, was laid down.
If the padre had knowledge of this chart, or if he simply means, they recognized it as that bay, miracu- lously led to by St. Francis, we are not able to state, because he forgot to do so, and supposed the bay had been found in 1740, then the name of the first dis- coverer is lost to the world, Portala and his followers believed, or pretended to believe, that only by the performance of a miracle St. Francis had led them to the place, and remembering that Father Junipero, before leaving Mexico, had been grieved on account of the visitor, General Galvez, not having put on the list of names of the missions to be founded, that one of their patron saint, and when reminded of the omission by the sorrowing priest his reply solemnly had been : "If St. Francis wants a mission let him show you a good port, and we will put one there." This good port-here it had been found and declared to have been led there by St. Francis, they called it "San Francisco Bay."
The expedition under Portala, on their returning way to San Diego, started November 11, 1769, to arrive at San Diego January 24, 1770, and here he learned for the first time of the danger out of which the mission had escaped so unharmed. But only the smaller part of all the trouble and danger that awaited them had passed away ; more was coming, and brought the whole enterprise near enough to become a failure, for want of possibility to make it self-sustaining until sufficient crops could be grown. Taking an inventory of the supplies, Governor Portala found that there was only enough left to last the colony until March, and according to this it was decided that if no sup- supplies would arrive with the San Antonio before the 20th of March, to abandon the enterprise and return to Mexico. Preparations had already been made for the abandonment, but just on that day a vessel was seen by all, on the ocean near the port, and it was postponed. The next day, however, the vessel was gone, but the faithful colonists believed then that |
help was coming, and really a few days after the San Antonio, with a full supply of provisions, etc., sailed into the harbor, in consequence of which two other expeditions were set out to go in search of Monterey harbor, one to go by sea, the other overland, Governor Portala himself again took charge of the latter, while the former was accompanied by Father Junipero, who writes from Monterey :---
" My Dearest Friend and Sir :- On the 31st day of May, by the favor of God, after a rather painful voy- age of a month and a half this packet, San Antonio, arrived and anchored in this horrible port of Monterey, which is unaltered in any degree from what it was
caino, in the year 1603."
He then states that the governor had reached the place eight days before him, and that they took pos- session of the land for the Spanish crown on the 3d of August, 1770, and the ceremony was attended by salutes from the battery on board of the vessel, and muskets of the soldiers. The mission was named San Carlos, and was moved afterwards to the river Car- melo. The third one of the first intended missions was located July 14, 1771, on the Antonio river, about twenty-five miles from the coast and thirty-five miles from Soledad to the south. In the grain field grown on this mission the first trial with irrigation was made in the summer of 1780. The next mission founded in California was that of San Gabriel, for which a location was selected about eight miles north of Los Angeles, the ceremony of establishment was performed on the 8th of September, the same year, 1771. About a year later, in September 1772, the mission of San Luis Obispo, nearly halfway between Los Angeles and Monterey, was founded in the pres- ence of Father Junipero, who hereafter returned to Mexico to procure supplies. Sometime before this, already, Governor Portala had returned to Mexico, and being the carrier of so much good news, as : the rediscovery of Monterey, and the discovery of another and much finer bay, which they had named after St. Francis, and the report of three missions being estab- lished in the new land, the excitement in Mexico run high, guns were fired, bells were rung, congratulatory speeches were delivered, and all new Spain was happy over the success so far surpassing all expectations and giving hope for far greater result in the future.
So when Father Junipero came to Mexico, about a year later, the excitement was still prevailing, and in a very short time he was able to procure over twelve thousand dollars worth of supplies. Dividing his forces he went, accompanied by several new missiona- ries and a few soldiers, with the vessel that had brought him hither, to arrive at San Diego March 13,
8
HISTORY OF EL DORADO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
1773, the other division consisting of soldiers under the command of Captain Juan Bautista Anza, had been sent overland by the way of Sonora, and the Gila and Colorado rivers, to open a route for better com- munication with the dominion of New Spain, as the treacherous sea had proved to be. Captain Anza, with company, finished their first pioneer overland journey by arriving safely about the same time with Father Junipero, at San Diego. Satisfied with the result of this route overland to Mexico, on which he thought to be dependent for the establishment of two more missions at San Francisco Bay and Santa Clara, Father Junipero immediately took the first steps to the realization of this long cherished plan, and a party under guidance of Father Crespi made its way from Monterey, passing through Santa Clara valley, follow- ing on along the east side of San Francisco Bay, fin- ally on the 30th of May, 1773, arrived on the bank of the San Joaquin river, where Antioch now stands, thus being the first white men to see the waters of this stream, which was named only forty-six years after, and to take in the view of the lower part of Sacra- mento and San Joaquin valleys, with their islands and many crooked water lines.
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