Climate of San Francisco
Periodical winds
Dine on board the Portsmouth
A supper party on shore
Arrival of Commodore Stockton at San Francisco
Rumours of rebellion from the south
Californian court
Trial by jury
Fandango
Californian belles
American pioneers of the Pacific
Reception of Commodore Stockton
Sitca
Captain Fremont leaves San Francisco for the south
Offer our services as volunteers.
From the 21st of September to the 13th of October I remained at San
Francisco. The weather during this period was uniformly clear. The
climate of San Francisco is peculiar and local, from its position.
During the summer and autumnal months, the wind on this coast blows
from the west and northwest, directly from the ocean. The mornings here
are usually calm and pleasantly warm. About twelve o'clock M., the wind
blows strong from the ocean, through the entrance of the bay, rendering
the temperature cool enough for woollen clothing in midsummer. About
sunset the wind dies away, and the evenings and nights are comparatively
calm. In the winter months the wind blows in soft and gentle breezes
from the south-east, and the temperature is agreeable, the thermometer
rarely sinking below 50 deg. When the winds blow from the ocean, it
never rains; when they blow from the land, as they do during the winter
and spring months, the weather is showery, and resembles that of the
month of May in the same latitude on the Atlantic coast. The coolness
of the climate and briskness of the air above described are confined to
particular positions on the coast, and the description in this respect
is not applicable to the interior of the country, nor even to other
localities immediately on the coast.
On the 21st, by invitation of Captain Montgomery, I dined on board of
the sloop-of-war Portsmouth. The party, including myself, consisted of
Colonel Russell, Mr. Jacob, Lieutenant Bartlett, and a son of Captain
M. There are few if any officers in our navy more highly and
universally esteemed, for their moral qualities and professional
merits, than Captain M. He is a sincere Christian, a brave officer, and
an accomplished gentleman. Under the orders of Commodore Sloat, he
first raised the American flag in San Francisco. We spent the afternoon
most agreeably, and the refined hospitality, courteous manners, and
intelligent and interesting conversation of our host made us regret the
rapidly fleeting moments. The wines on the table were the produce of
the vine of California, and, having attained age, were of an excellent
quality in substance and flavour.
I attended a supper-party given this evening by Mr. Frank Ward. The
party was composed of citizens of the town, and officers of the navy
and the merchant and whale ships in the harbour. In such a company as
was here assembled, it was very difficult for me to realize that I was
many thousand miles from, home, in a strange and foreign country. All
the faces about me were American, and there was nothing in scene or
sentiment to remind the guests of their remoteness from their native
shores. Indeed, it seems to be a settled opinion, that California is
henceforth to compose a part of the United States, and every American
who is now here considers himself as treading upon his own soil, as
much as if he were in one of the old thirteen revolutionary states.
Song, sentiment, story, and wit heightened the enjoyments of the
excellent entertainment of our host, and the jovial party did not
separate until a late hour of the night. The guests, as may be
supposed, were composed chiefly of gentlemen who had, from their
pursuits, travelled over most of the world--had seen developments of
human character under every variety of circumstance, and observed
society, civilized, barbarous, and savage, in all its phases. Their
conversation, therefore, when around the convivial board, possessed an
unhackneyed freshness and raciness highly entertaining and instructive.
On the 27th of September, the U.S. frigate Congress, Captain
Livingston, bearing the broad pennant of Commodore Stockton, and the
U.S. frigate Savannah, Captain Mervine, anchored in the harbour, having
sailed from Monterey a day or two previously. The arrival of these
large men-of-war produced an increase of the bustle in the small town.
Blue coats and bright buttons (the naval uniform) became the prevailing
costume at the billiard-rooms and other public places, and the plain
dress of a private citizen might be regarded as a badge of distinction.
On the 1st of October a courier arrived from the south with
intelligence that the Californians at Los Angeles had organized a force
and rebelled against the authority of the Americans--that they had also
captured an American merchant-vessel lying at San Pedro, the port of
the city of Angels, about thirty miles distant, and robbed it of a
quantity of merchandise and specie. Whether this latter report was or
was not true, I do not know--the former was correct. The frigate
Savannah sailed for Los Angeles immediately.
Among those American naval officers whose agreeable acquaintance I made
at San Francisco, was Mr. James F. Schenck, first-lieutenant of the
frigate Congress, brother of the distinguished member of congress from
Ohio of that name,--a native of Dayton, Ohio,--a gentleman of
intelligence, keen wit, and a most accomplished officer. The officers
of our navy are our representatives in foreign countries, and they are
generally such representatives as their constituents have reason to
feel proud of. Their chivalry, patriotism, gentlemanlike deportment,
and professional skill cannot be too much admired and applauded by
their countrymen. I shall ever feel grateful to the naval officers of
the Pacific squadron for their numerous civilities during my sojourn on
the Pacific coast.
Among the novelties presented while at San Francisco was a trial by
jury--the second tribunal of this kind which had been organized in
California. The trial look place before Judge Bartlett, and the
litigants were two Mormons. Counsel was employed on both sides. Some of
the forms of American judicial proceedings were observed, and many of
the legal technicalities and nice flaws, so often urged in common-law
courts, were here argued by the learned counsel of the parties, with a
vehemence of language and gesticulation with which I thought the legal
learning and acumen displayed did not correspond. The proceedings were
a mixture, made up of common law, equity, and a sprinkling of military
despotism--which last ingredient the court was compelled to employ,
when entangled in the intricate meshes woven by the counsel for the
litigants, in order to extricate itself. The jury, after the case was
referred to them, were what is called "hung;" they could not agree, and
the matters in issue, therefore, remained exactly where they were
before the proceedings were commenced.
I attended one evening a _fandango_ given by Mr. Ridley, an English
gentleman, whose wife is a Californian lady. Several of the senoras and
senoritas from the ranchos of the vicinity were present. The
Californian ladies dance with much ease and grace. The waltz appears to
be a favourite with them. Smoking is not prohibited in these
assemblies, nor is it confined to the gentlemen. The _cigarita_ is
freely used by the senoras and senoritas, and they puff it with much
gusto while threading the mazes of the cotillion or swinging in the
waltz.
I had the pleasure of being introduced, at the residence of Mr.
Leidesdorff, to two young ladies, sisters and belles in Alta
California. They are members of an old and numerous family on the
Contra Costa. Their names are singular indeed, for, if I heard them
correctly, one of them was called Donna Maria Jesus, and the other
Donna Maria Conception. They were interesting and graceful young
ladies, with regular features, symmetrical figures, and their dark eyes
flashed with all the intelligence and passion characteristic of Spanish
women.
Among the gentlemen with whom I met soon after my arrival at San
Francisco, and whoso acquaintance I afterwards cultivated, were Mr. E.
Grimes and Mr. N. Spear, both natives of Massachusetts, but residents
of this coast and of the Pacific Islands, for many years. They may be
called the patriarchs of American pioneers on the Pacific. After
forming an acquaintance with Mr. G., if any one were to say to me that
"Old Grimes is dead, that good old man,"
I should not hesitate to contradict him with emphasis; for he is still
living, and possesses all the charities and virtues which can adorn
human nature, with some of the eccentricities of his name-sake in the
song. By leading a life of peril and adventure on the Pacific Ocean for
fifty years he has accumulated a large fortune, and is a man now
proverbial for his integrity, candour, and charities. Both of these
gentlemen have been largely engaged in the local commerce of the
Pacific. Mr. S., some twenty-five or thirty years ago, colonized one of
the Cannibal Islands, and remained upon it with the colony for nearly
two years. The attempt to introduce agriculture into the island was a
failure, and the enterprise was afterwards abandoned.
On the evening of the third of October, it having been announced that
Commodore Stockton would land on the fifth, a public meeting of the
citizens was called by the alcalde, for the purpose of adopting
suitable arrangements for his reception, in his civic capacity as
governor. The meeting was convened in the _plaza_ (Portsmouth Square).
Colonel Russell was appointed chairman, and on motion of E. Bryant a
committee was appointed to make all necessary and suitable arrangements
for the reception of his excellency, Governor Stockton. The following
account of this pageant I extract from the "California" newspaper of
October 24th, 1846.
"Agreeable to public notice, a large number of the citizens of San
Francisco and vicinity assembled in Portsmouth Square for the purpose
of meeting his excellency Robert F. Stockton, to welcome his arrival,
and offer him the hospitalities of the city. At ten o'clock, a
procession was formed, led by the Chief Marshal of the day, supported
on either hand by two aids, followed by an excellent band of music--a
military escort, under command of Captain J. Zeilen, U.S.M.C.--Captain
John B. Montgomery and suite--Magistracy of the District, and the
Orator of the day--Foreign Consuls--Captain John Paty, Senior Captain
of the Hawanian Navy--Lieutenant-Commanding Ruducoff, Russian Navy, and
Lieutenant-Commanding Bonnett, French Navy. The procession was closed
by the Committee of Arrangements, captains of ships in port, and a long
line of citizens.
"General Mariano Guadaloupe Valléjo, with several others who had held
office under the late government, took their appropriate place in the
line.
"The procession moved in fine style down Portsmouth Street to the
landing, and formed a line in Water Street. The Governor-General landed
from his barge, and was met on the wharf by Captain John B. Montgomery,
U.S.N., Judge W.A. Bartlett, and Marshal of the day (Frank Ward), who
conducted him to the front of the line, and presented him to the
procession, through the orator of the day, Colonel Russell, who
addressed the commodore."
When the governor and commander-in-chief had closed his reply, the
procession moved through the principal streets, and halted in front of
Captain Leidesdorff's residence, where the governor and suite entered,
and was presented to a number of ladies, who welcomed him to the shores
of California. After which a large portion of the procession
accompanied the governor, on horseback, to the mission of San Francisco
Dolores, several miles in the country, and returned to an excellent
collation prepared by the committee of arrangements, at the house of
Captain Leidesdorff. After the cloth was removed, the usual number of
regular toasts, prepared by the committee of arrangements, and numerous
volunteer sentiments by the members of the company, were drunk with
many demonstrations of enthusiasm, and several speeches were made. In
response to a complimentary toast, Commodore Stockton made an eloquent
address of an hour's length. The toasts given in English were
translated into Spanish, and those given in Spanish were translated
into English. A ball in honour of the occasion was given by the
committee of arrangements in the evening, which was attended by all the
ladies, native and foreign, in the town and vicinity, the naval
officers attached to the three ships of war, and the captains of the
merchant vessels lying in the harbour. So seductive were the
festivities of the day and the pleasures of the dance, that they were
not closed until a late hour of the night, or rather until an early
hour in the morning.
Among the numerous vessels of many nations at anchor in the harbour is
a Russian brig from Sitca, the central port of the Russian-American Fur
Company, on the northwestern coast of this continent. She is commanded
by Lieutenant Ruducoff of the Russian navy, and is here to be freighted
with wheat to supply that settlement with breadstuff. Sitca is situated
in a high northern latitude, and has a population of some four or five
thousand inhabitants. A large portion of these, I conjecture, are
christianized natives or Indians. Many of the crew of this vessel are
the aborigines of the country to which she belongs, and from which she
last sailed. I noticed, however, from an inscription, that the brig was
built at Newburyport, Massachusetts, showing that the autocrat of all
the Russias is tributary, to some extent, to the free Yankees of New
England for his naval equipment. On the 11th of October, by invitation
of Lieutenant Ruducoff, in company of Mr. Jacob and Captain
Leidesdorff, I dined on board this vessel. The Russian customs are in
some respects peculiar. Soon after we reached the vessel and were shown
into the cabin, a lunch was served up. This consisted of a variety of
dried and smoked fish, pickled fish-roe, and other hyperborean pickles,
the nature of which, whether animal or vegetable, I could not
determine. Various wines and liquors accompanied this lunch, the
discussion of which lasted until an Indian servant, a native of the
north-pole, or thereabouts, announced dinner. We were then shown into a
handsomely furnished dining-cabin, where the table was spread. The
dinner consisted of several courses, some of which were peculiarly
Russian or Sitcan, and I regret that my culinary knowledge is not equal
to the task of describing them, for the benefit of epicures of a more
southern region than the place of their invention. They were certainly
very delightful to the palate. The afternoon glided away most
agreeably.
On the 12th of October, Captain Fremont, with a number of volunteers
destined for the south, to co-operate with Commodore Stockton in the
suppression of the reported rebellion at Los Angeles, arrived at San
Francisco from the Sacramento. I had previously offered my services,
and Mr. Jacob had done the same, to Commodore Stockton, as volunteers
in this expedition, if they were necessary or desirable. They were now
repeated. Although travellers in the country, we were American
citizens, and we felt under obligation to assist in defending the flag
of our country wherever it had been planted by proper authority. At
this time we were given to understand that a larger force than was
already organised was not considered necessary for the expedition.