City of Angels
Gardens
Vineyards
Produce of the vine in California
General products of the country
Reputed personal charms of the females of Los Angeles
San Diego
Gold and quicksilver mines
Lower California
Bituminous springs
Wines
A Kentuckian among the angels
Missions of San Gabriel and San Luis Rey
Gen. Kearny and Com. Stockton leave for San Diego
Col. Fremont appointed Governor of California by Com. Stockton
Com. Shubrick's arrival
Insurrection in the northern part of California suppressed
Arrival of Col. Cooke at San Diego.
La Ciudad de los Angeles is the largest town in California, containing
between fifteen hundred and two thousand inhabitants. Its streets are
laid out without any regard to regularity. The buildings are generally
constructed of adobes one and two stories high, with flat roofs. The
public buildings are a church, quartel, and government house. Some of
the dwelling-houses are frames, and large. Few of them, interiorly or
exteriorly, have any pretensions to architectural taste, finish, or
convenience of plan and arrangement. The town is situated about 20 miles
from the ocean, in a extensive undulating plain, bounded on the north
by a ridge of elevated hills, on the east by high mountains whose
summits are now covered with snow, on the west by the ocean, and
stretching to the south and the south-east as far as the eye can reach.
The Rio St. Gabriel flows near the town. This stream is skirted with
numerous vineyards and gardens, inclosed by willow-hedges. The gardens
produce a great variety of tropical fruits and plants. The yield of the
vineyards is very abundant; and a large quantity of wines of a good
quality and flavour, and _aguardiénte_, are manufactured here. Some of
the vineyards, I understand, contain as many as twenty thousand vines.
The produce of the vine in California will, undoubtedly, in a short
time form an important item, in its exports and commerce. The soil and
climate, especially of the southern portion of the country, appear to
be peculiarly adapted to the culture of the grape.
We found in Los Angeles an abundance of maize, wheat, and _frijoles_,
showing that the surrounding country is highly productive of these
important articles of subsistence. There are no mills, however, in this
vicinity, the universal practice of Californian families being to grind
their corn by hand; and consequently flour and bread are very scarce,
and not to be obtained in any considerable quantities. The only garden
vegetables which I saw while here were onions, potatoes, and _chile
colorado_, or red pepper, which enters very largely into the _cuisine_
of the country. I do not doubt, however, that every description of
garden vegetables can be produced here, in perfection and abundance.
While I remained at Los Angeles, I boarded with two or three other
officers at the house of a Mexican Californian, the late alcalde of the
town, whose political functions had ceased. He was a thin, delicate,
amiable, and very polite gentleman, treating us with much courtesy, for
which we paid him, when his bill was presented, a very liberal
compensation. In the morning we were served, on a common deal table,
with a cup of coffee and a plate of _tortillas_. At eleven o'clock, a
more substantial meal was provided, consisting of stewed beef, seasoned
with _chile colorado_, a rib of roasted beef, and a plate of _frijoles_
with _tortillas_, and a bottle of native wine. Our supper was a second
edition of the eleven o'clock entertainment.
The town being abandoned by most of its population, and especially by
the better class of the female portion of it, those who remained, which
I saw, could not, without injustice, be considered as fair specimens of
_the angels_, which are reputed here to inhabit. I did not happen to
see one beautiful or even comely-looking woman in the place; but, as
the fair descendants of Eve at Los Angeles have an exalted reputation
for personal charms, doubtless the reason of the invisibility of the
examples of feminine attractions, so far-famed and so much looked for
by the sojourner, is to be ascribed to their "unavoidable absence," on
account of the dangers and casualties of war. At this time, of course,
everything in regard to society, as it usually exists here, is in a
state of confusion and disorganization, and no correct conclusions in
reference to it can be drawn from observation under such circumstances.
The bay of San Pedro, about twenty-five miles south of Los Angeles, is
the port of the town. The bay affords a good anchorage for vessels of
any size; but it is not a safe harbour at all times, as I have been
informed by experienced nautical men on this coast. San Gabriel River
empties into the bay. The mission of San Gabriel is about twelve miles
east of Los Angeles. It is represented as an extensive establishment of
this kind, the lands surrounding and belonging to it being highly
fertile. The mission of San Luis Rey is situated to the south, about
midway between Los Angeles and San Diego. This mission, according to
the descriptions which I have received of it, is more substantial and
tasteful in its construction than any other in the country; and the
gardens and grounds belonging to it are now in a high state of
cultivation.
San Diego is the most southern town in Upper California. It is situated
on the Bay of San Diego, in latitude 33° north. The country back of it
is described by those who have travelled through it as sandy and arid,
and incapable of supporting any considerable population. There are,
however, it is reported on authority regarded as reliable, rich mines
of quicksilver, copper, gold, and coal, in the neighbourhood, which, if
such be the fact, will before long render the place one of considerable
importance. The harbour, next to that of San Francisco, is the best on
the Pacific coast of North America, between the Straits of Fuca and
Acapulco.
For the following interesting account of Lower California I am indebted
to Rodman M. Price, Esq., purser of the U.S. sloop-of-war Cyane, who
has been connected with most of the important events which have
recently taken place in Upper and Lower California, and whose
observations and opinions are valuable and reliable. It will be seen
that the observations of Mr. Price differ materially from the generally
received opinions in reference to Lower California.
"Burlington, N.J., June 7, 1848.
"Dear Sir,--It affords me pleasure to give you all the information I
have about Lower California, derived from personal observation at
several of its ports that I have visited, in the U.S. ship Cyane, in
1846-47.
"Cape St. Lucas, the southern extremity of the peninsula of Lower
California, is in lat. 22° 45' N., has a bay that affords a good
harbour and anchorage, perfectly safe nine months in the year; but it
is open to the eastward, and the hurricanes which sometimes occur
during July, August, and September, blow the strongest from the
southeast, so that vessels will not venture in the bay during the
hurricane season. I have landed twice at the Cape in a small boat, and
I think a breakwater can be built, at small cost, so as to make a safe
harbour at all seasons. Stone can be obtained with great ease from
three cones of rocks rising from the sea, and forming the extreme
southerly point of the Cape, called the Frayles. Looking to the future
trade and commerce of the Pacific Ocean, this great headland must
become a most important point as a dépôt for coal and merchandise, and
a most convenient location for vessels trading on that coast to get
their supplies. Mr. Ritchie, now residing there, supplies a large
number of whale-ships that cruise off the Cape, annually, with fresh
provisions, fruits, and water. The supplies are drawn from the valley
of San José twenty miles north of the Cape, as the land in its
immediate vicinity is mountainous and sterile; but the valley of San
José is extensive and well cultivated, producing the greatest variety
of vegetables and fruits. The sweet and Irish potato, tomato, cabbage,
lettuce, beans, peas, beets, and carrots are the vegetables; oranges,
lemons, bananas, plantains, figs, dates, grapes, pomegranates, and
olives are its fruits. Good beef and mutton are cheap. A large amount
of sugar-cane is grown, from which is made _panoche_, a favourite sugar
with the natives; it is the syrup from the cane boiled down, and run
into cakes of a pound weight, and in appearance is like our
maple-sugar.
"_Panoche_, cheese, olives, raisins, dried figs, and dates, put up in
_ceroons_ of hide, with the great staples of the Californians--hides
and tallow--make the export of San José, which is carried to San Blas
and Mazatlan, on the opposite coast. This commerce the presence of the
Cyane interrupted, finding and capturing in the Bay of La Paz, just
after the receipt of the news of war on that coast in September, 1846,
sixteen small craft, laid up during the stormy season, engaged in this
trade.
"I cannot dismiss the valley of San José, from which the crew of the
Cyane have drawn so many luxuries, without alluding to the
never-failing stream of excellent water that runs through it (to which
it owes its productiveness) and empties into the Gulf here, and is
easily obtained for shipping when the surf is low. It is now frequented
by some of our whale ships, and European vessels bound to Mazatlan with
cargoes usually stop here to get instructions from their consignees
before appearing off the port; but vessels do not anchor during the
three hurricane months. The view from seaward, up this valley, is
beautiful indeed, being surrounded by high barren mountains, which is
the general appearance of the whole peninsula, and gives the impression
that the whole country is without soil, and unproductive. When your eye
gets a view of this beautiful, fertile, cultivated, rich, green valley,
producing all the fruits and vegetables of the earth, Lower California
stock rises. To one that has been at sea for months, on salt grub, the
sight of this bright spot of cultivated acres, with the turkeys, ducks,
chickens, eggs, vegetables, and fruit, makes him believe the country an
_Eldorado_. Following up the coast on the Gulf side, after passing Cape
Polmo, good anchorage is found between the peninsula and the island of
Cerralbo. Immediately to the north of this island is the entrance to
the great and beautiful bay of La Paz. It has two entrances, one to the
north and one to the south of the island of Espiritu Santo. The
northern one is the boldest and safest for all craft drawing over
twelve feet. The town of La Paz is at the bottom or south side of the
bay, about twenty miles from the mouth. The bay is a large and
beautiful sheet of water. The harbour of Pichelinque, of perfect
mill-pond stillness, is formed inside of this bay. The Cyane lay at
this quiet anchorage several days.
"Pearl-fishing is the chief employment of the inhabitants about the
bay, and the pearls are said to be of superior quality. I was shown a
necklace, valued at two thousand dollars, taken in this water. They are
all found by diving. The _Yake_ Indians are the best divers, going down
in eight-fathom water. The pearl shells are sent to China, and are
worth, at La Paz, one dollar and a half the _arroba_, or twenty-five
pounds. Why it is a submarine diving apparatus has not been employed in
this fishery, with all its advantages over Indian diving, I cannot say.
Yankee enterprise has not yet reached this new world. I cannot say this
either, as a countryman of ours, Mr. Davis, living at Loretta, has been
a most successful pearl-fisher, employing more Indians than any one
else engaged in the business. I am sorry to add that he has suffered
greatly by the war. The country about La Paz is a good grazing country,
but very dry. The mountains in the vicinity are said to be very rich in
minerals. Some silver mines near San Antonio, about forty miles south,
are worked, and produce well. La Paz may export one hundred thousand
dollars a-year of _platapina_. Gold-dust and virgin gold are brought to
La Paz. The copper and lead mines are numerous and rich. To the north
of La Paz are numerous safe and good harbours. Escondida, Loretta, and
Muleje are all good harbours, formed by the islands in front of the
main land.
"The island of Carmen, lying in front of Loretta, has a large salt
lake, which has a solid salt surface of several feet thickness. The
salt is of good quality, is cut out like ice, and it could supply the
world. It has heretofore been a monopoly to the governor of Lower
California, who employed convicts to get out the salt and put it on the
beach ready for shipping. It is carried about a quarter of a mile, and
is sent to Mazatlan and San Blas. A large quantity of salt is used in
producing silver. To the north of Muleje, which is nearly opposite
Guymas, the gulf is so much narrower that it is a harbour itself. No
accurate survey has ever been made of it--indeed, all the peninsula, as
well as the coast of Upper California, is laid down wrong on the
charts, being about twelve miles too far easterly. The English
Government now have two naval ships engaged in surveying the Gulf of
California.
"On the Pacific coast of the peninsula there is the great Bay of
Magdalena, which has fine harbours, but no water, provisions, or
inhabitants. Its shores are high barren mountains, said to possess
great mineral wealth. A fleet of whale-ships have been there during the
winter months of the last two years, for a new species of whale that
are found there, represented as rather a small whale, producing forty
or fifty barrels of oil; and, what is most singular, I was assured, by
most respectable whaling captains, that the oil is a good paint-oil (an
entire new quality for fish-oil). Geographically and commercially,
Lower California must become very valuable. It will be a constant
source of regret to this country, that it is not included in the treaty
of peace just made with Mexico. We have held and governed it during the
war, and the boundary of Upper California cuts the head of the Gulf of
California, so that Lower California is left entirely disconnected with
the Mexican territory.
"Cape St. Lucas is the great headland of the Pacific Ocean, and is
destined to be the Gibraltar and entrepot of that coast, or perhaps La
Paz may be preferred, on account of its superior harbour. As a
possession to any foreign power, I think Lower California more valuable
than the group of the Sandwich Islands. It has as many arable acres as
that group of islands, with rich mines, pearl-fishing, fine bays and
harbours, with equal health, and all their productions. As a country,
it is dry, mountainous, and sterile, yet possessing many fine valleys
like San José, as the old mission establishments indicate. I have heard
Todas Santos, Commondee, Santa Guadalupe, and others, spoken of as
being more extensive, and as productive as San José.
"I am, most faithfully and truly, yours,
"RODMAN M. PRICE."
In the vicinity of Los Angeles there are a number of warm springs which
throw out and deposit large quantities of bitumen or mineral tar. This
substance, when it cools, becomes hard and brittle like resin. Around
some of these springs many acres of ground are covered with this
deposit to the depth of several feet. It is a principal material in the
roofing of houses. When thrown upon the fire, it ignites immediately,
emitting a smoke like that from turpentine, and an odour like that from
bituminous coal. This mineral, so abundant in California, may one day
become a valuable article of commerce.
There are no reliable statistics in California. The traveller is
obliged to form his estimate of matters and things chiefly from his own
observation. You can place but little reliance upon information derived
from the population, even when they choose to answer your questions;
and most generally the response to your inquiries is--"_Quien sabe?_"
(who knows?) No Californian troubles his brains about these matters.
The quantity of wines and _aguardiénte_ produced by the vineyards and
distilleries, at and near Los Angeles, must be considerable--basing my
estimate upon the statement of Mr. Wolfskill, an American gentleman
residing here, and whose house and vineyard I visited. Mr. W.'s
vineyard is young, and covers about forty acres of ground, the number
of vines being 4,000 or 5,000. From the produce of these, he told me,
that last year he made 180 casks of wine, and the same quantity of
_aguardiénte_. A cask here is sixteen gallons. When the vines mature,
their produce will be greatly increased. Mr. W.'s vineyard is doubtless
a model of its kind. It was a delightful recreation to stroll through
it, and among the tropical fruit-trees bordering its walks. His house,
too, exhibited an air of cleanliness and comfort, and a convenience of
arrangement not often met with in this country. He set out for our
refreshment three or four specimens of his wines, some of which would
compare favourably with the best French and Madeira wines. The
_aguardiénte_ and peach-brandy, which I tasted, of his manufacture,
being mellowed by age, were of an excellent flavour. The quantity of
wine and _aguardiénte_ produced in California, I would suppose,
amounted to 100,000 casks of sixteen gallons, or 1,600,000 gallons.
This quantity by culture can be increased indefinitely.
It was not possible to obtain at Los Angeles a piece of woollen cloth
sufficiently large for a pair of pantaloons, or a pair of shoes, which
would last a week. I succeeded, after searching through all the shops
of the town, in procuring some black cotton velvet, for four yards of
which I paid the sum of 12 dollars. In the United States the same
article would probably have cost 1.50 dollar. For four dollars more I
succeeded in getting the pantaloons made up by an American tailor, who
came into the country with General Kearny's forces. A Rocky Mountain
trapper and trader (Mr. Goodyear), who has established himself near the
Salt Lake since I passed there last year, fortunately arrived at Los
Angeles, bringing with him a quantity of dressed deer and elk skins,
which were purchased for clothing for the nearly naked soldiers.
Among the houses I visited while here, was that of Mr. Pryor, an
American, and a native of Louisville, Ky. He has been a resident of the
country between twenty and thirty years, but his Kentucky manners,
frankness, and hospitality still adhere to him.
I remained at Los Angeles from the 14th to the 29th of January. During
this time, with the exception of three days, the weather and
temperature were pleasant. It rained one day, and during two days the
winds blew strong and cold from the north-west. The nights are cool,
but fires are not requisite to comfort. The snow-clad mountains, about
twenty-five or thirty miles to the east of us, contrast singularly with
the brilliant fresh verdure of the plain.
On the 18th of January General Kearny, with the dragoons, left for San
Diego. There was understood to be a difference between General Kearny
and Commodore Stockton, and General Kearny and Colonel Fremont, in
regard to their respective powers and duties; which, as the whole
subject has subsequently undergone a thorough investigation, and the
result made public, it is unnecessary for me to allude to more
particularly. I did not converse with General Kearny while he was at
Los Angeles, and consequently possessed no other knowledge of his views
and intentions, or of the powers with which he had been invested by the
President, than what I derived from report.
On the 19th, Commodore Stockton and suite, with a small escort, left
for San Diego. Soon after his departure the battalion was paraded, and
the appointment of Colonel Fremont as governor of California, and
Colonel W.H. Russell, as secretary of state, by Commodore Stockton, was
read to them by Colonel Russell. It was announced, also, that, although
Colonel Fremont had accepted the office of chief civil magistrate of
California, he would still retain his military office, and command the
battalion as heretofore.
Commodore Shubrick, however, arrived at Monterey on the 23rd of
January, in the U.S. ship Independence, and, ranking above Commodore
Stockton, assumed the chief command, as appears by the date of a
general order published at Monterey, and written on board the United
States ship Independence, on February 1st, thanking the volunteers for
their services, and announcing the restoration of order. For I should
state that an insurrection, headed by Don Francisco Sanchez, had broken
out in the upper portion of California some time towards the last of
December, which had been put down by a detachment of marines and
volunteers. The insurgents had committed some outrages, and among other
acts had taken prisoner Lieutenant W.A. Bartlett, acting Alcalde of San
Francisco, with some other Americans. An account of the suppression of
this affair I find in the "Californian" newspaper of February 6th, 1847,
from which it appears, "that a party of one hundred and one men,
commanded by Captain Ward Marston, of the United States marines,
marched from San Francisco on the 29th December in search of the enemy,
whom they discovered on the 2nd of January, about one hundred in
number, on the plains of Santa Clara, under the command of Francisco
Sanchez. An attack was immediately ordered. The enemy was forced to
retire, which they were able to do in safety, after some resistance, in
consequence of their superior horses. The affair lasted about an hour,
during which time we had one marine slightly wounded in the head, one
volunteer of Captain Weber's command in the leg; and the enemy had one
horse killed, and some of their forces supposed to be killed or
wounded. In the evening the enemy sent in a flag of truce, with a
communication, requesting an interview with the commanding officer of
the expedition the next day, which was granted, when an armistice was
entered into, preparatory to a settlement of the difficulties. On the
3rd, the expedition was reinforced by the mounted Monterey volunteers,
fifty-five men, under the command of Captain W.A.T. Maddox, and on the
7th, by the arrival of Lieutenant Grayson with fifteen men, attached to
Captain Maddox's company. On the 8th a treaty was concluded, by which
the enemy surrendered Lieutenant Bartlett, and the other prisoners, as
well as all their arms, including one small field-piece, their
ammunition and accoutrements, and were permitted to return peaceably to
their homes, and the expedition to their respective posts."
A list of the expedition which marched from San Francisco is given as
follows:--Captain Ward Marston, commandant; Assistant-surgeon J. Duval,
aide-de-camp. A detachment of United States marines, under command of
Lieutenant Tansil, thirty-four men; artillery, consisting of one
field-piece, under the charge of Master William F. De Iongh, assisted
by Mid. John M. Kell, ten men; Interpreter John Pray; mounted company
of San José volunteers, under command of Captain C.M. Weber, Lieutenant
John Murphy, and acting Lieutenant John Reed, thirty-three men; mounted
company of Yerba Buena volunteers, under command of Captain William M.
Smith, Lieutenant John Rose, with a small detachment under Captain J.
Martin, twelve men.
Thus ended the insurrections, if resistance against invasion can
properly be so called, in Upper California.
On the 20th January, the force of sailors and marines which had marched
with Commodore Stockton and General Kearny left Los Angeles, to embark
at San Pedro for San Diego. On the 21st a national salute was fired by
the artillery company belonging to the battalion, in honour of Governor
Fremont. On the 22nd, letters were received from San Diego, stating
that Colonel Cooke, who followed General Kearny from Santa Fé with a
force of four hundred Mormon volunteers, had reached the neighbourhood
of that place. Having applied for my discharge from the battalion as
soon as we reached Los Angeles, I received it on the 29th, on which
day, in company with Captain Hastings, I set out on my return to San
Francisco, designing to leave that place on the first favourable
opportunity for the United States.