History of California, Volume I, Part 54

Author: Bancroft, Hubert Howe
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: San Francisco, Calif. : The History Company, publishers
Number of Pages: 852

USA > California > History of California, Volume I > Part 54
USA > California > History of California, Volume I > Part 54

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

469

MISSIONS OF MONTEREY DISTRICT.

as given in connection with other missions are as follows: At San Cárlos Junípero Serra and Matías Antonio de Santa Catarina y Noriega served until August 1784, when the former having died, the latter served till October 1787,42 and José Francisco de Paula Señan from that time on, having Pascual Mar- tinez de Arenaza as associate from 1789, and Lasuen as president from 1790. The friars named were the regular ministers so far as the records show, but other priests arriving by sea from San Blas or coming in from other missions often spent some time here, so that there were nearly always two and often more. 43 At San Antonio de Pádua the founders of 1771, Miguel Pieras and Buenaventura Sitjar, served throughout this decade, having at its close 1,076 neo- phytes under their charge-the largest, mission com- munity in California.44 At San Luis Obispo José Cavaller served continuously from the foundation in 1772 to his death on December 9, 1789.45 His asso- ciate was Antonio Paterna until December 1786, when he went to found Santa Barbara, and Miguel Giribet came in December 1787. Between the two I find that Faustino Sola had charge of the mission

42 Matías Antonio de Santa Catarina (written also Catharina and Catalina) y Noriega, who was best known by the name Noriega, came up as chaplain on the transport of 1779, and took Cambon's place at San Francisco. He re- mained there until 1781, and then served at San Carlos until 1787, when he retired to his college.

43 Increase of converts 1783 to 1790, 614 to 733; baptisms, 639; deaths,' 425; large stock, 628 to 1,378; small stock, 245 to 1,263. Crops in 1790, 3,775 bushels. Fages in his general report of 1787 alludes to the climate with its sudden changes of heat and cold, as having something to do with the great mortality. Crops have been good, though arrangements for irrigation have not yet been completed. St. Pap., Miss, and Colon., MS., i. 139-40.

## Increase in neophytes, 585 to 1,076; baptisms, 773; deaths, 333; large stock, 429 to 2,232; small stock, 466 to 1,984; crops in 1790 only 1,450 bushels. Fages says the soil is tolerably good though irrigation is difficult, and the mission has raised enough for her own use and a surplus for sale. San Antonio had the best church in California excepting, perhaps, Santa Clara. St. Pap., Miss. and Colon., i. MS., 145-7.

45 José Cavaller was a native of the town of Falcet in Catalonia. He left the college in Mexico in October 1770, sailed from San Blas in January 1771, reached San Diego in March and Monterey in May, remaining there as super- numerary until he went to found San Luis in Sept. 1772. His remains were buried in the mission church, and he left the reputation of a zealous and suc- cessful missionary. S. Luis Obispo, Lib. de Mision, MS., 38; autograph in S. Antonio, Doc. Sueltos, MS., 4.

470

LOCAL EVENTS AND STATISTICS.

for a few months, but am unable to completely fill the vacancy even with one padre.46

Lieutenant José Moraga was commandant and habilitado of San Francisco until his death, which occurred on July 13, 1785,47 from which date Gon- zalez, transferred from Monterey, became comman- dant for two years, and José Ramon Lasso de la Vega, the alférez, served as habilitado. During the two years there was trouble with both these officials. Before leaving Monterey Gonzalez had once been put under arrest for insubordination, gambling, failing to prevent gambling, and for trading with the galleon. At San Francisco his irregular conduct continued in spite of warnings and re-arrest; and in 1787 the gov- ernor was obliged to send him to the frontier. He never returned to California.43

46 Increase in neophytes, 492 to 605; baptisms, 332; deaths, 130; large stock, 815 to 3,810; small stock, 960 to 3,725; crops for 1790, 2,340 bushels. Want of water was the chief drawback according to Fages' report.

47 Of José Joaquin Moraga, or as he always signed his name, Josseph Moraga, little is known beyond what has been told in the text. He came with Anza in 1776, and was commandant of San Francisco from the first, founding the presidio, the two missions, and the pueblo of San José. He was godfather of the first neophyte at San Francisco, who received his name; and he was secular sponsor at the laying of the corner-stone of the mission church still standing, as also at the dedication of the Santa Clara church. His record as an officer was an honorable and stainless one. His wife was María del Pilar de Leon y Barceló, who died in October 1808 and was interred in the San Francisco cemetery, her husband's remains resting in the church. He brought a son Gabriel to California who afterwards became a lieutenant, a famous Indian figliter, and the ancestor of a family still surviving. Don José's niece, María Ignacia, was the wife of José Argüello. The commandant is described as having been 5 ft. 2 inches and 2 lines in height; but there is reason to suppose that the pié del rey used in measuring the height of soldiers was longer than the ordinary Spanish foot, which was 8 per cent shorter than our foot.

48 Gonzalez' arrest at Monterey in August 1784. Prov. Ree., MS., i. 186; ii. 102-3; Prov. St. Pap., Ben., MS., i. 41. Soler alludes to his mucha ridiculez Nov. 14, 178G, and proposes Argüello as a successor. Prov. St. Pap., MS., vi. 198; vii. 114-16. Gonzalez arrested at San Francisco by Lasso at Soler's order Feb. 4, 1787, and sent south to meet Fages March 18th. Id., vii. 98-9; Prov. Rec., MS., iii. 39. Fages tells the story to his successor, Romcu, Fch. 26, 1791. Prov. St. Pap., MS., x. 162-3. General approves measures against Gonzalez. Id., vii. 50. Gonzalez was born at C'este del Campo in Spain, and enlisted as a private at about the age of 26 in 1762. He served 3 years as a private, 2 as corporal, 10 as sergeant, and a little over one year as alférez. Having seen much service in Indian campaigns in the Provincias Internas, he was promoted to be lieutenant for California service in December 1779. Hoja de Servicios, in Prov. St. Pap., Ben. Mil., MS., ii. 12-13; iv. 15. Fages says of

471

SAN FRANCISCO OFFICIALS.

Lasso the habilitado was a stupid fellow, though neither dishonest nor dissipated, always in trouble with his accounts, and always recommended to the executive clemency. During his first brief term in 1781-2 he managed to leave a deficit of about $800; and early in 1787 Captain Soler discovered a still more serious and inexcusable defalcation. His usual excuses of forgetfulness, stealing by soldiers and convicts, and the melting-away of sugar during transportation would no longer save him; he was suspended from office, placed under arrest, and obliged to live on twenty-five cents a day, the rest of his pay as alférez being reserved to make up the deficit in his accounts. This state of things continued for over four years, and then, the amount having been in great part repaid, he was dis- missed from the service; but the king subsequently granted him retirement and half-pay.49 José Argüello was taken from Santa Bárbara and promoted to be

him after he was sent to the frontier 'no tiene narizes ní asiento.' Prov. St. Pap., MS., x. 14S. In Nov. 1791 the king's permission was sent to the gov- ernor to put Gonzalez on the retired list. Id., 94. He retired as inválido to Rosario in Sonora, and his name was dropped from the company rolls after Jan. 1, 1793. Prov. Rec., MS., ii. 157.

49 On Lasso's San Francisco troubles see correspondence in Prov. Rec., MS., ii. 136-9; iii. 35-7; Prov. St. Pap., MS., vi. 93-4; vii. 114-17, 121-3, 128, 141-2; viii. 7-9; xi. 179; xxi. 157; Prov. St. Pap., Ben. Mil., MS., xiii. 10. Sept. 16, 1786, Fages speaks of the appointment of Sergt. José Perez Fernan- dez as alférez of San Francisco; but it was not done before 1790. On same date he orders the deficit charged to the company. July 6, 1787, Fages blames Soler for not having been more strict in Lasso's case. Soler went up to straighteu out Lasso's accounts, but himself made a blunder, probably in 1782. Aug. 9, 1788, the general orders Lasso's dismissal when the defieit is paid. Dec. 1, 1791, Gov. Romeu suspends him from rank and pay. Lasso was commissioned alférez Feb. 10, 1780. Prov. St. Pap., Ben. Mil., MS., iv. 14-15. In 1790 he was 34 years old and single. St. Pap. Miss., MS., i. 84, though he had wanted to marry in 1781, and Gov. Neve had been ordered to dismiss him from the service if he persisted in his intention. Prov. Ree., MS., ii., 84. Again in 1787 in the midst of his troubles he wished to take a wife, but his petition for- warded by Lasuen was refused. Arch. Sta. Bárbara, MS., xii. 364-5. The royal order of retirement was forwarded by the viceroy, applied for in 1794, viceroy to Fages in Prov. St. Pap., MS., xi. 179, April 11, 1795, and by the governor Aug. 24th. Prov. St. Pap., MS., xiii. 105; Prov. Rec .. MS., v. 61; and Ang. 27th the governor writes to Arrillaga 'our poor Lasso has received his retirement with half-pay as alférez, as petitioned by you, for which may God reward you.' Prov. Rec., MS., v. 320-1. Though 'quiso la naturaleza negarle una precisa parte de espíritu'-Prov. St. Pap., MS., vii. 114-yet by birth he was enti- tled to be called 'Don.' He was of Spanish blood and a native of Chihuahua. He was school-master at San José in 1795-6, as late as Aug. 19, 1797, is urged to pay a balance still due, Prov. Rec., MS., v. 266, and he died Nov. 30, 1821, at the age of 64, being buried at Sau Rafael. Arch. Misiones, MS., i. 905.

472

LOCAL EVENTS AND STATISTICS.

lieutenant from June 1787, taking charge at the same time of the accounts.50 Juan Pablo Grijalva was the company's sergeant until 1787, when he was sent as alférez to San Diego, and Pedro Amador was promoted to fill his place.

The presidial force was thirty-four men besides the officers, from fifteen to twenty of whom served in the garrison while the rest did guard duty at the mission, at Santa Clara, and at San José. With their families they amounted to a population of about one hundred and thirty. Of the presidio buildings there is noth- ing to be said beyond the fact that from want of tim- ber, bad quality of adobes, and lack of skilful workmen no permanent progress was made during the decade. Some portion of the walls was generally in ruins, and the soldiers in some cases had to erect the old-fash- ioned palisade structures to shelter their families.51 Local events as recorded were neither numerous nor very exciting. The natives gave no trouble save by the rare theft of a horse or cow, for which offence they were chastised once or twice in 1783; and in 1786 neophytes were arrested and flogged for ravages among the soldiers' cattle.52 These cattle became so numerous as to be troublesome, and slaughter was begun as early as 1784 to reduce the number to eight or nine hundred. 53 Captain Soler complained much of the bad climate of the place, and even advocated, as we have seen, its abandonment; but in the eyes of higher officials the importance of the location on San Francisco Bay, and the duty of protecting the mission, outweighed the peculiarities of the peninsula climate.54

50 Argüello's commission was forwarded by the general Feb. 9, 1787. Prov. St. Pap., MS., vii. 45. He left Santa Bárbara April 12th. Id., 67. Took possession of office at San Francisco June 12th.

51 Prov. St. Pap., MS., x. 166; xi. 53. In January 1784 the corner of the presidio was blown down in a gale. Id., v. 69.

52 Prov. St. Pap., MS., iv. 21, 30; Prov. Rec., MS., ii. 134.

53 Sergeant Grijalva had over 50 head, and was ordered to remove the sur- plus where they would not interfere with the mission herds. Prov. Rec., MS., i. 173, 181. January 23, 1788, Fages says that he will send men to build a corral at San Mateo and there to gather stock from San Bruno to Santa Clara if pasturage grows scarce. Id., iii. 40.

5+ Prov. St. Pap., MS., vii. 117; v. 4, 5.

473

AFFAIRS AT SAN FRANCISCO.

There was some trouble about the performance of a chaplain's duties at the presidio, and for over two years the soldiers heard no mass unless at the mis- sion; but in February a chapel was completed, after which time the friars made occasional visits.55 San Francisco was honored by several visits from the gov- ernor, and in August 1784 was the birthplace of his daughter.56 A sailor from the Princesa, who had . served out his time, remained at San Francisco in 1784, intending to establish a school; but it does not appear that he succeeded.57

The mission of San Francisco in respect of neophytes was the smallest of the old establishments, having increased in the eight years from 215 to 438. Bap- tisms had been 551, and deaths 205.58 The increase of herds was, of large stock from 554 to 2,000, and of small from 284 to 1,700. Notwithstanding the small area and barren nature of the soil, which, as Fages states in his general report, had yielded but small crops, we find that the yield in 1790 was 3,700 bushels, excelled by only four in the list of missions. It ap- pears, however, that the sowing was done mostly at a spot ten or twelve miles distant down the penin- sula. 59

In the ministry Pedro Benito Cambon, the founder, served throughout the whole period; and Francisco Palou, also a founder, until 1785, when he retired to his college at a ripe old age.60 Miguel Giribet was

55 Prov. St. Pap., MS., vii. 99; Prov. Rec., MS., i. 192.

56 S. Francisco, Lib. de Mision, MS., 20-1.

57 Prov. Rec., MS., i. 183.

St. Pap., Miss, and Colon., MS., i. 145-7.

58 In 1784 the governor reports it also as having one of the poorest churches. 59 St. Pap., Miss. and Colon., MS., i. 143.

60 Francisco Palou, sometimes written with an accent Paloú, without any good reason so far as I know, was born at Palma in the Island of Mallorca, probably in 1722. Mr Doyle in his introduction to the reprint of Palou, Noti- cias, i. iii., infers that the date was about 1719; but in a letter dated 1783, Ilist. Mag., iv. 67-8, the padre calls himself 61 years of age. Taking the habit of San Francisco he entered the principal convent of the city, and in 1740 became a disciple of Junipero Serra, with whom and with Juan Crespi of the same convent he contracted a life-long friendship. With his master he volunteered for the American missions in 1749, left Palma in April, Cádiz in August, and landed at Vera Cruz in December. Joining the college of San

474

LOCAL EVENTS AND STATISTICS.

stationed here iu 1785-7; Santiago in 1786-7; Sola and García in 1787-90; and Dantí from 1790.

Before leaving San Francisco I present a map which belongs to the period under consideration, being a copy of a Spanish chart published in La Pérouse's atlas and probably obtained by that voyager at Mon- terey in 1786.

At Santa Clara Mission the new adobe church was dedicated on Sunday, May 15, 1784, by Serra, Palou, and Peña, in the presence of Fages and Moraga, the

Fernando, he was assigned to the Sierra Gorda missions, where he served from 1750 to 1759, subsequently living at the college for 8 years. Appointed to Baja California he arrived at Loreto in April 1768, took charge of San Francisco Javier; and in 1769 after Serra's departure for the north became acting presi- dent. In May 1773 he surrendered the missions to the Dominicans and soon started north, arriving at San Diego at the end of August and at Mon- terey in November of the same year, sending in the first annual report on the missions, and acting as president until Serra's return at the beginning of 1774. For two years and a half he served at San Carlos, and in June 1776 went to found the San Francisco establishments, having previously visited the peninsula twice, in Nov. 1774 and Sept. 1776. His first entry in the mission registers bears date of Aug. 10, 1776, before the mission was form- ally founded, and his last was on July 25, 1785, and not July 20, 1784, as Doyle says. See S. Francisco, Lib. de Mision, MS., 2. There is another entry of July 13, 1785. About 1780, by reason of ill-health, he asked leave to retire, which was granted; but which he could not profit by at first for want of transportation, then for want of a substitute, and finally on account of new instructions connected with the foundation of a custody; but in 1783, fearing by longer delay to be incapacitated for so long a voyage, he wrote to Don José de Galvez to obtain from the king new permission to retire. Letter of Aug. 15, 1783, in Hist. Mag., iv. 67-9. The result was a royal order of Oct. 5, 1784, and a corresponding decree of the audiencia of Feb. 18, 1785, that Palou return to his college. Id., 69. Meanwhile Serra died in Aug. 1784 and Palou as senior missionary was obliged against his own wishes to serve as acting president, residing part of the time at San Carlos, but chiefly at San Francisco engaged in writing his Life of Serra, until Lasuen received the appointment in Sept. 1785. Palou was now free to go, and sailed, I sup- pose, on the Favorita late in September, which touched at Santa Barbara with a load of lumber, Prov. St. Pap., MS., vi. 166, and arrived at San Blas on Nov. 14. Gaceta de Mex., i. There is, however, a difficulty; for the Favo- rita touched at Santa Bárbara Oct. Ist, and Fages in Montercy wrote on Oct. 3d, wishing the padre a pleasant voyage. Prov. Rec., MS., iii. 55. There may be an crror in one of these dates, or else possibly Palou departed in the Manila galleon San José which touched at Monterey in November. Prov. Rec., MS., ii. 93. In any case he reached the college on Feb. 21, 178G. Arch. Sta. Bárbara, MS., xii. 29; and ou July Ist was elected guardian. Id., xi. 214-15. Sometime before Jan. 12, 1787, he presented a report to the government on the state of affairs in California. Id., viii. 39. Nothing further is known of him, but he seems to have lived only a few years. I think he died before 1790. The guardian in 1798, mentioning the death of Viceroy Galvez, which occurred in Nov. 178G, says that Palou died ' a little later,' and implies that it was before Romeu's rule which began in 1790. St. Pap., Miss. and Colon., MS., i. 48. The earliest communication that I have seen signed by his successor as guardian is dated November 1792, though it is of course possible that

475

SAN FRANCISCO AND VICINITY.

LA PÉROUSE'S MAP OF SAN FRANCISCO.

476

LOCAL EVENTS AND STATISTICS.

former serving as padrino, with all the solemnities prescribed by the Roman ritual.61

This church was the finest yet erected in California; yet its dedication was a sad occasion, since under the edifice lay the body of its architect and builder, the founder of the mission, Father Murguía, who had died only four days before, a missionary well beloved and mourned by all.62 His companion founder, Tomás de la Peña, served until 1794, although there were com- plaints against him for cruelty to the neophytes under his charge.63 Murguía was succeeded by Diego de Noboa, and President Lasuen seems to have resided

Palou resigned. Taylor, Discov. and Founders, ii. No. 28, 171, says he seems to have died about 1796. For a sample of his handwriting with autograph signature see S. Antonio, Doc. Sueltos, MS., 13.

It is chiefly through his writings, the Vida de Junipero Serra and the Noticias de California, both of which have been noticed fully in a preceding chapter, that Palou's fame will live; yet as a missionary and as a man he deserves a very high place among the Californian friars. I regard him as but little inferior to Serra in executive ability and in devotion to his work, while in every other respect, save possibly in theological and dogmatic learn- ing, he was fully his equal. His views as expressed in his writings are nota- bly broad, practical, and liberal. Palou, Serra, and Crespí presented three good types of the missionary. Their friendship did not result from similarity of character, but rather from opposite qualities; and 'their reciprocal confi- dence and zeal for a common object,' as Doyle remarks, 'could not fail to prove most beneficial to the enterprise in which they all felt the greatest interest.'

61 Santa Clara, Arch. Parroq., MS., 12. Roof of beams 'labradas y curiosa lo posible.' Fages to general, in Prov. Rec., MS., i. 172; Hall's Hist. S. José, 418-20; Levett's Scrap Book. The date has been incorrectly given as May 16th.

62 Joseph Antonio de Jesus María de Murguía was born Dec. 10, 1715, at Domayguia, Álava, Spain. He came to America as a layman, but became a Franciscan at San Fernando college June 29, 1736; was ordained as a priest in 1744; and was assigned to the Pame missions of the Sierra Gorda in 1748. Here he toiled for 19 years and built the first masonry church in the district; that of San Miguel. Transferred in 1767 to Baja California he reached Loreto April 1, 1768, and was assigned to Santiago mission, where he served until March 1769. In June he was at San José del Cabo waiting to embark for Cal- ifornia; but sickness saved his life by preventing him from sailing on the ill- fated San José. He subsequently served at San Javier, but in July 1773 joined Palou at Santa Maria and accompanied him to San Diego, arriving Aug. 30th. Residing for a while as supernumerary at San Antonio, he became minister of San Luis Obispo in October 1773, and in January 1777 founded Santa Clara where he served continuonsly until his death. He died while pre- paring for dedication the church on which he had worked so hard as architect, director, and even laborer. He was buried on May 12th in the presbytery of the new edifice by Palou, Santa Clara, Lib. de Mision, MS., 33-4, by whom as by Serra and others he had been regarded as a model friar. Palou, Vida, 265-6.

63 Fages in a report to the general in 1786 speaks of these complaints, stating that one or two Indians have died from the effects of his severity, and that he will be retired to his college. Prov. St. Pap., MS., ii. 136.

477

PUEBLO PROGRESS AT SAN JOSÉ.

here much of the time from 1786 to 1789. There were no serious troubles with the natives, though the neophytes were sometimes inclined to take part in the petty wars of the gentiles.64 In agricultural advan- tages Santa Clara was deemed superior to any other mission except San Gabriel, and crops of grain and fruit were usually large, although in 1790 the harvest of 2,875 bushels was less than that of San Francisco. Large stock had increased since 1783 from 400 to 2,817, and small stock from 554 to 836 head. Baptisms had been 1,279, many more than elsewhere, but deaths had been 639, a proportionally large figure; yet with an increase from 338 to 927, Santa Clara stood third in the list in respect of the number of converts.

Of the nine settlers of San José to whom lands were formally distributed in 1783, but who had be- come settlers in 1780 or earlier, the term of the last one, Claudio Alvires, expired in August 1785, and no rations were subsequently supplied by the govern- ment. Sebastian Alvitre had been expelled for bad conduct; but in 1786 eight of the original nine re- mained, and ten new names had been added as sol- diers or agregados. Ten more were added before 1790. This latter class was composed of discharged soldiers who became settlers, differing from the pobla- dores in receiving no pay or rations. The soldiers of the guard were practically settlers from the first, men being selected for the duty usually whose time of dis- charge was near, and who intended to remain perma- nently at the pueblo.65 In 1790 the total population

64 Two or three neophytes were chastised by the padres for being present at a gentile fight, and Sergt. Amador was sent to warn the pagans not to tempt the converts. A pagan laborer of San José was flogged and imprisoned for inciting hostilities. This in 1786. Argüello to Fages, in Prov. St. Pap., MS., viii. 76-7. Sergt. Cota ordered to explore from Santa Clara to Santa Rosa on the other side of the sierra, May 2, 1785. Prov. Rec., MS., ii. 7.

65 The ten names of 1786 were: Manuel Butron, Ignacio Castro, Manuel Higuera, Ignacio Linares, Seferino Lugo, Hilario Mesa, Nasario Saez, Ignacio Soto, Felipe Tapia, Atanasio Vazquez. Prov. St. Pap., MS., v. 24-5, 27-8. Four received rations during the year, doubtless as invalids. See also St. Pap., Sac., MS., i. 36. Manuel Valencia was a settler who died in 1788. Prov.

478

LOCAL EVENTS AND STATISTICS.

was about eighty. Agricultural products amounted to about 2,250 bushels; while large stock had increased from 417 to 980, and sheep had decreased from 800 to 600.

San José was less prosperous than Los Angeles, at least during the first half of the decade .. Several causes contributed to this result, one of which was inefficient management and local government. The regulation allowed the governor to appoint alcaldes the first three years, after which time they were to be elected by the people. Fages, however, permitted an election, Ignacio Archuleta was chosen for 1783, and Mesa, corporal of the guard, was removed in Septem- ber of that year for inharmonious relations with the alcalde. Who held the position of alcalde in 1784 the records fail to show; but by reason of irregularities and slow progress the governor was obliged to resume the power of appointment, naming Manuel Gonzalez as alcalde for 1785 with Romero and Alvires as regidores, and also appointing a comisionado to man- age these officials. Corporal José Dominguez, the successor of Mesa, was at first made comisionado but died probably before the appointment reached him. 68 Ignacio Vallejo, who had been sent to San José in January to make a survey for a new dam or reservoir, remained as corporal to succeed Dominguez, and in May was appointed comisionado by Fages, with duties

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History of California, Volume I, Part 54

Author: Bancroft, Hubert Howe Publication date: 1885 Publisher: San Francisco, Calif. : The History Company, publishers Number of Pages: 852

Author: Bancroft, Hubert Howe
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: San Francisco, Calif. : The History Company, publishers
Number of Pages: 852