USA > California > Lassen County > Illustrated history of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra counties, with California from 1513 to 1850 > Part 3
USA > California > Plumas County > Illustrated history of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra counties, with California from 1513 to 1850 > Part 3
USA > California > Sierra County > Illustrated history of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra counties, with California from 1513 to 1850 > Part 3
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The after events that constituted the history of the peninsula are a continuous succession of strongly marked acts that would make an interesting book for one to peruse who is seeking the history of the Indians as a race; but not of sufficient importance as an adjunct to California history to warrant their relation in this work. Therefore they will be passed, enough having been given to show the reader how the Catholics became the conquerors of the country. In 1767, the Jesuits were expelled from the Span- ish dominions, and forced to abandon their work in Lower California; but they left behind them a record of having paved the way and solved the problem of how to subdue and control the native tribes of the West. They have left behind them the record of having become the pioneers in the culture of the grape and in the making of wine on this coast, having sent to Mexico their vintage as early as 1706. They were the pioneer manufacturers, having taught the Indians the use of the loom in the manufacture of cloth as early as 1707. They built, in 1719, the first vessel ever launched from the soil of California, calling it the Triumph of the Cross. Two of their number suffered martyrdom at the hands of the Indians, and the living were rewarded for those years of toil, of privation and of self-sacrifice, by banishment from the land they had subdued; leaving, for their successors, the Franciscans, sixteen flour- ishing missions, and thirty-six villages, as testimonials of the justice and wisdom of their rule.
CHAPTER III.
Conquest of Upper California by the Franciscans.
Dominicans Succeed the Franciscans in Lower California-Why the Latter were Willing to Give Way-The Original Plan of the Jesuits-The King of Spain Orders the Colonization of Upper California-The Expedition and its Objects-It Goes by Land and Sea-Loss of the Vessel St. Joseph-Mortality on Board the other Ships-The Party by Land Divides-A Description of the Pioneer of California-A Mule-driver Turns Doctor-The Overland Expedition Arrives Safely at San Diego-An Epoch in the History of the World-The San Antonio Returns to San Blas-The Country Taken Possession of-How a Mission is Formed-Governor Portala sets out in Search of Monterey, and Discovers Instead the Bay of San Francisco-First Mission Founded-First Battle in California- An Almost-Baptized Papoose-Abandonment of the Country Decided Upon-Timely Arrival of the San Antonio Prevents Abandonment-Two New Expeditions Start in Search of Monterey-Monterey Found-What Junipero Thought of the Port-They take Possession-Mission of San Carlos Established-They Proceed to Scare the Little Devils Away-Mission of San Antonio Established-First Irrigation in California and the Results-Mission Estab- lished near Los Angeles, called San Gabriel-Another Miracle-Governor Portala Returns to Mexico, the Bearer of Welcome News-Father Junipero also Visits Mexico-The Pioneer Overland Expedition from Mexico by Captain Anza-He returns to Mexico-Attempt to Destroy the Mission at San Diego by the Indians-The First Vessel Known to have been in the Harbor of San Francisco-Death of Father Junipero Serro-Why a Full History of the Missions is not given-The General Plan of their Location, and Reason for it-Russians Interfere with the Plan-Population as given by Humboldt.
The Franciscan order of the Catholic Church had no sooner become possessed of the missions estab- lished on the peninsula by the Jesuits, than another order of that church, called the Dominican, laid claim to a portion of them. The Franciscans deemed it a work and class of property that should not be segregated, and expressed a preference of yielding the whole rather than a part, and eventually turned it all over to the Dominicans. This willingness to abandon the field to their rivals was not, what it might at first seem to be, a spirit of self-abnegation. It was rather the wisdom of the serpent that lay con- cealed under an exterior of apparent harmlessness like that of the dove.
As before stated in this work, the process of occupying the peninsula of Lower California had been a school wherein the Catholic Church had educated the world in the proper means to be employed in making a conquest of the coast Indians and their country. It had been a part of the original plan of the Jesuits to extend the missions on up the country, along the coast, until a chain of connection had been formed from La Paz in the south to those straits in the north that the nautical world supposed separated Asia from America, and called at that time the "Straits of Anian." But they were not per- mitted to perfect the plan, being banished before their conquests had reached beyond the limits of the peninsula.
The Franciscans gave up the possession of the territory of their rivals to the Dominicans with the purpose of entering further north and taking possession of the country that heretofore had only been seen "as through a glass darkly," and thus perfect the original plan. In this way they hoped to become' pos- sessors of a better land, where legend had located the gold and rich silver mines, from whence the Aztecs had drawn their treasure.
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In pursuance of this plan there was issued by the Spanish crown an order calling for the rediscovery of the bays in the upper coast, and an occupation of the country. In response to the order, an expedi- tion started in 1769, under the management of Junipero Serro, a Franciscan monk. His immediate intention was to found three missions in Upper California-one at San Diego, one at Monterey, and the third between those places. The general object of the expedition is laid down by Joseph De Galvez as being "To establish the Catholic religion among a numerous heathen people, submerged in the obscure dark- ness of paganism, to extend the dominion of the King, our Lord, and to protect the peninsula from the . ambitious views of foreign nations."
He also sets forth that this had been the object of the Spanish crown since the report of the dis- coveries by Viscaino in 1603. It was deemed expedient to divide the expedition, and send a portion of it by sea in their three vessels, leaving the remainder to go from Mexico overland by way of the most northerly of the old missions. Accordingly, on the ninth of January, 1769, the ship San Carlos sailed from La Paz, followed on the fifteenth of February by the San Antonio. The last to sail was the San Joseph, on the sixteenth of June, and she was never afterwards heard from. The ocean swallowed her up, with the crew that had thus been summoned to join the ranks of the army that in the past centuries had sought by sea the rock-bound coast of California, to find instead the boundless shore of an unexplored eternity. The vessels were all loaded with provisions, numerous seeds, grain to sow, farming utensils, church ornaments, furniture, and passengers, their destination being the port of San Diego. The first to reach that place was the San Antonio. She arrived on the eleventh of April, having lost eight of her crew with scurvy. Twenty days later the San Carlos made her laborious way into port, with only the captain, the cook and one seaman left alive of her crew, the balance having fallen victims of that terrible scourge of the early navigators.
The party that was to go overland was also divided into two companies: one, under command of Fernando Revera Moncada, was to assemble at the northern limit of the peninsula, where was located the most northerly mission, and take two hundred head of black cattle over the country to San Diego, the point where all were to meet in the new land to be subdued. Revera set out on the twenty-fourth of March, and was the first European to cross the southern deserts of our state. He reached the point of general rendezvous on the fourteenth of May, after having spent fifty-one days in the journey.
The governor of Lower California, Gaspar de Portala, took command of the remaining part of the' land expedition, and started, May fifteenth, from the same place that, on the frontier, had been the point of departure for Revera. With Portala was the president, under whose charge the whole enter- prise was placed; and of this man, Father Frances Junipero Serro, the pioneer of California, a more than passing notice would seem in place. He was born on an island in the Mediterranean sea, and fron infancy was educated with a view of becoming a priest of the Romish Church. He was a man of eloquence and enthusiasm, of strong personal magnetism and power, possessing to a remarkable degree' those peculiarities of character found in martyrs and dervishes. He had gained a wide reputation as a missionary among the Indians in Mexico, and was the great revivalist in his church. He frequently aroused his congregation almost to frenzy by his wild, enthusiastic' demonstrations of religious fervor. He would beat himself with chains and stones, and apply the burning torch to his naked flesh, to show the apathetics the need of crucifying the flesh in penance for their sins. On one occasion his self-inflicted punishment with the cruel chain was so great that one who beheld it rushed up to the altar, seized the links from his hands, exclaiming, "Let a sinner suffer penance, father, not one like you," and commenced beating himself with them, 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.
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Edmond Randolph, in his vivid and excellent Outline of the History of California, in speaking of this man and his journey over the country to enter upon his new field of duty, says :-
" It was May before he joined Portala at the same encampment from which Revera set out. The reverend Father President came up in very bad condition. He was traveling with an escort of two soldiers, and hardly able to get on or off his mule. His foot and leg were greatly inflamed, and the more that he always wore sandals, and never used boots, shoes or stockings. His priests and the governor tried to dissuade him from the undertaking, but he said he would rather die on the road, yet he had faith that the Lord would carry him safely through. On the second day out his pain was so great that he could neither sit, nor stand, nor sleep, and Portala, being still unable to induce him to return, gave orders for a litter to be made. Hearing this, Father Junipero was greatly distressed on the score of the Indians, who would have to carry him. He prayed fervently, and then a happy thought occurred to him. He called one of the muleteers, and addressed him, so runs the story, in these words: ' Son, don't you know some remedy for the sore on my foot and leg?' But the muleteer answered, ' Father, what remedy can I know ? Am I a surgeon ? I am a muleteer, and have only cured the sore backs of beasts.' 'Then consider me a beast,' said the father, 'and this sore, that has produced this swelling of my legs and the grievous pain I am suffering, and that neither let me stand nor sleep, to be a sore back, and give me the same treatment you would apply to a beast.' The muleteer, smiling, as did all the rest who heard him, answered, ' I will, Father, to please you ;' and taking a small piece of tallow mashed it between two stones, mixing it with herbs, which he found growing close by ; and having heated it over the fire, anointed the foot and leg, leaving a plaster of it on the sore. God wrought in such a manner, for so wrote Father Junipero himself from San Diego, that he slept all that night until daybreak, and awoke so much relieved from his pains that he got up and said matins and . prime, and afterwards mass, as if he had never suffered such an accident, and to the astonishment of the Governor and the troop at seeing the Father in such health and spirits for the journey, which was not delayed a moment on his account. Such a man was Junipero Serro, and so he journeyed when he went to conquer California. On July 1, 1769, they reached San Diego, all well, in forty-six days after leaving the frontier."
They were the last of the several divisions to arrive at that point, and were received with heartfelt demonstrations by their companions, some of whom had been anxiously awaiting their coming for nearly three months.
This was one hundred and twelve years ago, and was the era from which dates the commencement of a history of the European race in our state. Then, for the first time, the Visigoth came here to make a home where he expected to live and to die. It was an epoch in time of great moment to the civilized world, a year freighted with events that in their bearing upon the family of men was second to none since that birth in a manger at Nazareth. Within it were ushered upon the stage of life the two great men, military commanders, Wellington and Bonaparte, whose acts were to shape the destinies of Europe; yes, of the world. That year not only saw our beautiful state in swaddling-clothes, an infant born to be nursed eventually into the family of civilized nations, but it saw the seed of liberty planted among the granite hills of New England, and Father Time wrote upon one of the mile-posts of eternity, "1769, the commencement of a brighter day for the children of men." .
The members of the several divisions were all, excepting those who died at sea, on the ground at San Diego, and Father Junipero was not a man to waste time. In looking over his resources for accomplishing the work before him, he found that there were in all, including converted Indians that had accompanied him, about two hundred and fifty souls. That he had everything necessary for the founding of the three missions, the cultivation of the soil, grazing the land and exploring the coast, except sailors
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and provisions. So many of the former having died on the voyage, it was deemed advisable to have what remained sail on the San Antonio for San Blas, to procure more seamen and supplies. They accordingly put to sea for that purpose on the ninth of July, and nine of the crew died before that port was reached.
Formal possession was immediately taken of the country for Spain, and the next thing in order was to found a mission at San Diego. Possibly it will be interesting to the reader to know what the ceremony was that constituted the founding of a mission. Father Francis Palou, whose writings were published in 1787, thus describes it :-
"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 possibly) and forming a grand cross. * * The venerable Father 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 pronounced 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."
After the establishments of a mission the next thing in order was the gaining of converts, and the practice being the same in Upper as in Lower California, will consequently require no further description.
Everything being in fine working order, the vessel San Antonio having sailed for seamen and supplies, and formal possession having been taken of the country, there remained only the neccessity of entering upon the remaining object that had attracted these pioneers to California. Consequently, an expediton was fitted out under Governor Portala's command, to go overland in search of the harbor of Monterey, that had been for one hundred and sixty-six years lost to the world. He started on the fourteenth of July, with all but six of the available force, except converts that had come with them from Lower California. These were left with Father Junipero and deemed by him sufficient for his protection and that of the mission to be founded on the sixteenth, showing a confidence in the natives that came near adding this to the already long list of disasters.
Portala, with sixty-five persons in all, moved on up the coast, and reaching Monterey, planted a cross there, without knowing that he had found the place he was seeking. He passed on in his slow, tortuous way, up the country, until three and a half months had passed since his departure, when, October 30, he came upon a bay that Father Crespi, who accompanied the expedition and kept a journal, says, " they at once recognized. " What caused him to recognize it ? Had they ever heard of it before ? This is the first unquestioned record of the discovery of the San Francisco harbor. In all the annals of history there is no evidence of its ever having been seen before, except that sailing chart, dated 1740, and captured in 1742, with the galleon belonging to the Jesuit Manila merchants. Yet the exception is evidence strong as holy writ that in 1740 the bay had been found, but the name of the first discoverer is lost to the world.
Portala and his followers believed that a miracle had been performed, that the discovery was due to the hand of Providence, that St. Francis had led them to the place ; and when they saw it in all its land-locked, slumbering grandeur, they remembered that before they left Mexico Father Junipero had been grieved because the visitator, General Galvez, had not placed in the list their patron saint, in selecting names for the missions to be founded in the new country, and when reminded of the omission by the sorrowing priest, he had replied solemnly, as from matured reflection : "If St. Francis wants a mission, let
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him show you a good port and we will put one there." " A good port " had been found-one where could ride in safety the fleets of the world, and they said "St. Francis has led us to his harbor," and they called it "San Francisco Bay." Thus for the first time in history the name and locality were united.
The expedition that was under California's first governor then returned, starting Nov. 11, 1769, and arrived at San Diego January 24, 1770, where he first learned of the perils through which, during his absence, had passed those he had left behind. It will be remembered that Portala started north on the fourteenth of July, two days before the first mission in Upper California was founded at San Diego. This day was chosen as the one on which to commence the work of christianizing California, because on the sixteenth of July, five hundred and forty-seven years before, the Spanish armies had caused the triumph of the cross over the crescent in the old world, and the father deemed this the beginning of a victory of the cross over barbarism in the unexplored wilds of the great northwest.
The first efforts at conversion were of course unsuccessful. The slow process of getting the Indians' confidence, and then learning their ways and language, had first to be gone through with. It would be but repetition to detail the manner by which this was done, as it was identical with that practiced by the Jesuits on the peninsula. There was this difference, however, that the Indians here cared nothing for the food given them by the padres, and would not eat it ; but they were quite willing to take anything else, cloth being their weakness. They went out into the bay on balsas, in the night, and cut a piece out of the sail of the vessel. They soon became tired of getting things by piecemeal, aud undertook the same operation that had been attempted by the Indians with Father Tierra at La Paz, ninety years before, and with similar results. They watched their opportunities, designing to take the little garrison unawares, and after having killed all, divide the property among themselves, and end the performance with a grand jubilee. Matters culminated just a month after the founding of the mission. Taking advantage of the absence of one of the priests and two soldiers, who had gone temporarily aboard the ship, they suddenly fell upon the remaining force of four soldiers, two padres, a carpenter and a blacksmith. The latter was a brave and fearless man, and led the defence by rushing upon the enemy with the war-ery of " Long live the faith of Jesus Christ, and die the dogs, his enemies !" The result was a defeat to the Indians, with severe loss in dead and wounded. The missionaries found, after the enemy had retreated, that they, too, had not come through unscathed. One of their converted Indians had been killed, one wounded, and a soldier, a priest, and the brave blacksmith, were also among the injured.
This first battle in California occurred on the fifteenth of August, 1769. That day, on the other side of the world, was born, on an island in the Mediterranean sea, that genius of war, that child of destiny, who in after years made toys of crowns and changed the map of Europe ; a child who lived to see his scheme of universal empire fade away, and his victorious star go down in blood, as the Old Guard faltered, then recoiled, and finally melted away in that terrible charge at Waterloo.
Another incident occurred soon after this, that shows how earnest and unyielding was the deter- mination of those pioneer priests to subdue the Indians by kindness, except where absolute war was not declared. Their first friend among the tribes of Upper California was a boy, who finally ventured to come among the Spaniards, and was, by presents and affectionate treatment, eventually so far won over as to become the means of communicating with his tribe. As soon as this had been accomplished, Father Junipero explained to him by some means that if the parents of some child would bring it to him to baptize, by putting a little water on its head, it would become by so doing a son of God and of Father Junipero, as well as a kindred of the soldiers, that they would give the child clothes and take care of it and see that it always had plenty to eat, etc. The boy went among his people, and explained what the father had told him, and they finally made up a little plan to play a practical joke upon the good priest. They sent back the boy to tell the Spaniards that they would bring a child to be baptized, and the father's
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heart was made glad to think that he was soon to begin the harvest of souls. He called the garrison together, assembled at the church the Christian Indians who had come from Mexico with him, and re- quested one of the soldiers to act as godfather in the coming ceremony of papoose baptism into the Catholic Church. He awaited for a time with a glowing face and overflowing heart for the approach of the parents with the infant. They soon came, followed by a large concourse of their friends, and handed the little candidate, with big, black, twinkling eyes spread wide with wonder, to the father, signifying their desire to proceed with the baptism. He took the little fellow, put clothes upon him, and was pro- ceeding with the ceremony, having gone so far in it as to be in the act of raising the water to finish the operation by pouring it upon the child's head, when the almost Catholic baby was suddenly snatched from his arms, leaving the astonished father with the water suspended, while the laughing Indians rushed away with the infant. The soldiers were infuriated at this insult to religion and to their beloved priest, and would have taken summary vengeance on the scoffers, but were prevented from molesting them. In after years whenever this incident was mentioned in his presence, tears of sorrow would come to the eyes of this zealous missionary, as he thought of the sad end of that early hope.
The whole scheme of occupying northern or Upper California came near proving a failure, because of the want of ability to sustain themselves until crops could be grown in the country sufficient to make the enterprise self-sustaining. Governor Portala, after his return from the discovery of the San Francisco bay, took an inventory of the supplies. He found that there remained only enough to last the expedi- tion until March, and decided that if supplies did not arrive by sea before the twentieth of that month, to abandon the enterprise and return to Mexico. The day came, and with it, in the offing, in plain view of all, a vessel. Preparations had been completed for the abandonment, but it was postponed because of the appearance of the outlying ship. The next day it was gone, and the colony believed then that a miracle had been performed, and their patron saint had permitted the scene of the vessel that they might know that help was coming. In a few days the San Antonio sailed into the harbor with abundant supplies, and they learned that the vision they had been permitted to see was that vessel herself; she had been forced by adverse winds to put out to sea again after coming in sight of the harbor.
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