GENERAL OBSERVATIONS UPON THE COUNTRY.
First settlement of the missionaries
Population
Characteristics of white population
Employments
Pleasures and amusements
Position of women
Soil
Grasses
Vegetable productions
Agriculture
Fruits
Cattle
Horses
Wild animals
Minerals
Climate
Flora
Water-power
Timber
Religion.
It was during the month of November, 1602, the sun just retiring behind
the distant high land which forms the background of a spacious harbour
at the southernmost point of Alta California, that a small fleet of
vessels might have been seen directing their course as if in search of
a place of anchorage; their light sails drawn up, while the larger
ones, swelling now and then to the action of the breeze, bore them
majestically along, forcing their way through the immense and almost
impenetrable barrier of sea-weed, to a haven which, at the remote
period stated, was considered the unexplored region of the North. The
fleet referred to hauled their wind to the shore, and, passing a bluff
point of land on their left, soon came to anchor; but not until the
shades of night had cast a gloom over the scene so recently lighted up
with the gorgeous rays of a setting sun.
This was the commencement, or rather preliminary mark, of civilization
in this country, by the Spaniards, (if so it can be called,) and on the
following morning a detachment was landed, accompanied by a friar, to
make careful investigation of the long ridge of high land which serves
as a protection to the harbour from the heavy north-west gales. They
found, as reported, an abundance of small oak and other trees, together
with a great variety of useful and aromatic herbs; and from its summit
they beheld the extent and beauty of the port, reaching, as they said,
full three leagues from where the vessel lay at anchor. A large tent
was erected on the sandy beach, to answer the purposes of a church,
where the friar might perform mass, and by directions of the commanding
officers, the boats were drawn up for repairing, wells were dug,
parties were sent off to cut wood, while guards were placed at
convenient distances to give notice of the approach of any hostile
force. The latter precaution was hardly carried into effect, ere a
large body of naked Indians were seen moving along the shore, armed
with bows and arrows. A friar, protected by six soldiers, was
dispatched to meet them, who, making signs of peace by exhibiting a
white flag and throwing handfuls of sand high into the air, influenced
them to lay aside their arms, when, affectionately embracing them, the
good old friar distributed presents of beads and necklaces, with which
they eagerly adorned their persons. This manifestation of good feeling
induced them to draw near to where the commander had landed with his
men, but perceiving so large a number, they retreated to a neighbouring
knoll, and from thence sent forward to the Spaniards ten aged females,
who, possessing apparently so much affability, were presented
immediately with gifts, and instructed to go and inform their people of
the friendly disposition cherished for them by the white strangers.
This was sufficient to implant a free intercourse with the Indians, who
daily visited the Spaniards, and bartered off their skins and furs in
exchange for bread and trinkets. But at length the time arrived for the
fleet to depart, and they proceeded northward, visiting in their course
Monterey and Mendocino, where the same favourable result attended the
enterprise as at other places, and they returned in safety to New
Spain.
So successful had been the character of this expedition throughout the
entire period of its execution, that an enthusiasm prevailed in the
minds of the Spaniards, which could only be assuaged by an attempt to
conquer and christianize the inhabitants of that distant portion of the
American continent. Many were the fruitless results of the Spanish
adventurer--numerous were the statements of his toil and labour, till
at length a formidable attempt, under the patronage and direction of
Don Gaspar de Portala and Father Junipero Serra, successfully achieved
the desired object for which it was planned and executed.
At San Diego, where, a century and a half before, the primitive
navigators under Cortez communed with the rude and unsophisticated
native--there, where the zealous devotee erected his altar on the
burning sand, and with offerings of incense and prayer hallowed it to
God, as the birthplace of Christianity in that region--upon that
sainted spot commenced the spiritual conquest, the cross was erected,
and the holy missionaries who accompanied the expedition entered heart
and soul upon their religious duties. Successful in all they undertook,
their first establishment in a short time was completed, and drawing
around it the converted Indians in large numbers, the rude and
uncultivated fields gave place to agricultural improvement--the arts
and sciences gradually obtained foundation where before all was
darkness, and day after day hundreds were added to the folds of the
holy and apostolic church. Thus triumphantly proceeded the labours of
the Spanish conquerors! In course of time other institutions were
founded at Santa Barbara, Monterey, and San Francisco, where at each
place a military fortress was erected, which served for their
protection, and to keep in check such of the natives who were
disinclined to observe the regulations of the community.
The natives formed an ardent and almost adorable attachment for their
spiritual fathers, and were happy, quite happy, under their
jurisdiction. Ever ready to obey them, the labour in the field and
workshop met with ready compliance, and so prosperous were the
institutions that many of them became wealthy, in the increase of their
cattle and great abundance of their granaries. It was no unusual sight
to behold the plains for leagues literally spotted with bullocks, and
large fields of corn and wheat covering acres of ground. This state of
things continued until the period when Mexico underwent a change in its
political form of government, which so disheartened the feelings of the
loyal missionaries, that they became regardless of their
establishments, and suffered them to decline for want of attention to
their interests. At length, civil discord and anarchy among the
Californians prepared a more effective measure for their destruction,
and they were left to the superintendence of individuals who plundered
them of all that was desirable or capable of removal. Thus, the
government commenced the robbery, and its hirelings carried it out to
the letter, destroying and laying waste wherever they were placed. In
order to give the inhabitants a share of the spoils, some of them were
permitted to slaughter the cattle by contract, which was an equal
division of the proceeds, and the contractors were careful, when they
delivered one hide to a mission, to reserve _two_ for themselves, in
this way following up the example of their superiors.
This important revolution in the systematic order of the monastic
institutions took place in 1836, at which period the most important of
them possessed property, exclusive of their lands and tenements, to the
value of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. At the present day
they have but a little more than dilapidated walls and restricted
boundaries of territory. Notwithstanding this wanton devastation of
property, contrary to the opinion of many who were strongly in favour
of supporting these religious institutions, the result proved
beneficial to the country at large. Individual enterprise succeeded as
the lands became distributed, so that the Californian beheld himself no
longer dependent on the bounty of his spiritual directors, but, on the
contrary, he was enabled to give support to them, from the increase and
abundance of his own possessions.
Subsequent to the expulsion of the Mexicans, numbers of new farms were
created, and hundreds of Americans were scattered over the country.
Previous to 1830, the actual possessions of horned cattle by the
_rancheros_ did not exceed one hundred thousand; but in 1842, according
to a fair estimate, made by one on the spot, the number had increased
to four hundred thousand; so that the aggregate is equal to that held
by the missions when in their most flourishing condition. The present
number is not much, if any, short of one million.
Presuming a statistical knowledge of this country, before and after the
missionary institutions were secularized, may be interesting, I will
insert the following returns of 1831 and 1842, to contrast the same
with its present condition:--
1st. In 1832 the white population throughout Alta-California did not
exceed 4,500, while the Indians of the twenty-one missions amounted to
19,000; in 1842, the former had increased to 7,000, and the latter
decreased to about 5,000.
2nd. In the former year, the number of horned cattle, including
individual possessions, amounted to 500,000; in the latter, to 40,000.
3rd. At the same period, the number of sheep, goats, and pigs, was
321,000; at the latter, 32,000.
4th. In 1831 the number of horses, asses, mules, etc., was 64,000; in
1842 it was 30,000.
5th. The produce in corn, etc., had decreased in a much greater
proportion--that of seventy to four.
The amount of duties raised at the customhouse in Monterey, from 1839
to 1842, was as follows, viz.:--
1839 85,613 dollars.
1840 72,308 dollars
1841 101,150 dollars
1842 73,729 dollars.
The net amount of revenue seldom exceeding in any year eighty thousand
dollars; so that, when a deficiency took place, to supply the
expenditures of government, it had been usual to call upon the missions
for aid.
The value of the hides and tallow derived from the annual _matanzas_
may be estimated at 372,000 dollars. These two commodities, with the
exception of some beaver, sea-otter, and other furs, comprise the most
important part of the exportations, which in addition, would augment
the value of exports to 400,000 dollars.
The permanent population of that portion of Upper California situated
between the Sierra Nevada and the Pacific, I estimate at 25,000. Of
this number, 8,000 are Hispano-Americans, 5,000 foreigners, chiefly
from the United States, and 12,000 christianized Indians. There are
considerable numbers of wild or Gentile Indians, inhabiting the valley
of the San Joaquin and the gorges of the Sierra, not included in this
estimate. They are probably as numerous as the Christian Indians. The
Indian population inhabiting the region of the Great Salt Lake, Mary's
River, the oases of the Great Desert Basin, and the country bordering
the Rio Colorado and its tributaries, being spread over a vast extent
of territory, are scarcely seen, although the aggregate number is
considerable.
The Californians do not differ materially from the Mexicans, from whom
they are descended, in other provinces of that country. Physically and
intellectually, the men, probably, are superior to the same race
farther south, and inhabiting the countries contiguous to the city of
Mexico. The intermixture of blood with the Indian and negro races has
been less, although it is very perceptible.
The men, as a general fact, are well made, with pleasing sprightly
countenances, and possessing much grace and ease of manners, and
vivacity of conversation. But hitherto they have had little knowledge
of the world and of events, beyond what they have heard through Mexico,
and derived from the supercargoes of merchant-ships and whalemen
touching upon the coast. There are no public schools in the country--at
least I never heard of one. There are but few books. General Valléjo
has a library with many valuable books, and this is the only one I saw,
although there are others; but they are rare, and confined to a few
families.
The men are almost constantly on horseback, and as horsemen excel any I
have seen in other parts of the world. From the nature of their
pursuits and amusements, they have brought horsemanship to a perfection
challenging admiration and exciting astonishment. They are trained to
the horse and the use of the lasso (_riata_, as it is here called) from
their infancy. The first act of a child, when he is able to stand
alone, is to throw his toy lasso around the neck of a kitten; his next
feat is performed on the dog; his next upon a goat or calf; and so on,
until he mounts the horse, and demonstrates his skill upon horses and
cattle. The crowning feat of dexterity with the _riata_, and of
horsemanship, combined with daring courage, is the lassoing of the
grisly bear. This feat is performed frequently upon this large and
ferocious animal, but it is sometimes fatal to the performer and his
horse. Well drilled, with experienced military leaders, such as would
inspire them with confidence in their skill and prowess, the
Californians ought to be the finest cavalry in the world. The
Californian saddle is, I venture to assert, the best that has been
invented, for the horse and the rider. Seated in one of these, it is
scarcely possible to be unseated by any ordinary casualty. The
bridle-bit is clumsily made, but so constructed that the horse is
compelled to obey the rider upon the slightest intimation. The spurs
are of immense size, but they answer to an experienced horseman the
double purpose of exciting the horse, and of maintaining the rider in
his seat under difficult circumstances.
For the pleasures of the table they care but little. With his horse and
trappings, his sarape and blanket, a piece of beef and a _tortilla_,
the Californian is content, so far as his personal comforts are
concerned. But he is ardent in his pursuit of amusement and pleasure,
and these consist chiefly in the fandango, the game of monte,
horse-racing, and bull and bear-baiting. They gamble freely and
desperately, but pay their losses with the most strict punctuality, at
any and every sacrifice, and manifest but little concern about them.
They are obedient to their magistrates, and in all disputed cases
decided by them, acquiesce without uttering a word of complaint. They
have been accused of treachery and insincerity. Whatever may have been
the grounds for these accusations in particular instances, I know not;
but, judging from my own observation and experience, they are as free
from these qualities as our own people.
While the men are employed in attending to the herds of cattle and
horses, and engaged in their other amusements, the women (I speak of
the middle classes on the ranchos) superintend and perform most of the
drudgery appertaining to housekeeping, and the cultivation of the
gardens, from whence are drawn such vegetables as are consumed at the
table. These are few, consisting of _frijoles_, potatoes, onions, and
_chiles_. The assistants in these labours are the Indian men and women,
legally reduced to servitude.
The soil of that portion of California between the Sierra Nevada and
the Pacific will compare, in point of fertility, with any that I have
seen elsewhere. As I have already described such portions of it as have
come under my observation, it is unnecessary for me here to descend to
particulars. Wheat, barley, and other small grains, with hemp, flax,
and tobacco, can be produced in all the valleys, without irrigation. To
produce maize, potatoes, and other garden vegetables, irrigation is
necessary. Oats and mustard grow spontaneously, with such rankness as
to be considered nuisances upon the soil. I have forced my way through
thousands of acres of these, higher than my head when mounted on a
horse. The oats grow to the summits of the hills, but they are not here
so tall and rank as in the valleys.
The varieties of grasses are greater than on the Atlantic side of the
continent, and far more nutritious. I have seen seven different kinds
of clover, several of them in a dry state, depositing a seed upon the
ground so abundant as to cover it, which is lapped up by the cattle and
horses and other animals, as corn or oats, when threshed, would be with
us. All the grasses, and they cover the entire country, are heavily
seeded, and, when ripe, are as fattening to stock as the grains which
we feed to our beef, horses, and hogs. Hence it is unnecessary to the
sustenance or fattening of stock to raise corn for their consumption.
Agriculture is in its rudest state. The farming implements which have
been used by the Californians, with few exceptions, are the same as
were used three hundred years ago, when Mexico was conquered by Cortez.
A description of them would be tedious. The plough, however, which
merely scratches the ground, is the fork of a small tree. It is the
same pattern as the Roman plough, two thousand years ago. Other
agricultural implements are of the same description. The Americans, and
other foreigners, are, however, introducing the American plough, and
other American farming tools, the consequence of which has already
been, to some extent, to produce a revolution in agriculture. The crops
of wheat and barley, which I saw about the 1st of June, while passing
through the country on my journey to the United States, exceeded in
promise any which I have seen in the United States. It was reported to
me that Captain Sutter's crop of wheat, for 1847, would amount to
75,000 bushels.
The natural vegetable productions of California have been sufficiently
noticed in the course of this work, for the reader to form a correct
estimate of the capabilities of the soil and climate. It is supposed by
some, that cotton, sugar, and rice, could be produced here. I do not
doubt but there are portions of the country where these crops would
thrive; but I question whether, generally, they could be cultivated to
advantage. Nearly all the fruits of the temperate and tropical climates
are produced in perfection in California, as has before been stated.
The principal product of the country has been its cattle and horses.
The cattle are, I think, the largest and finest I ever saw, and the
beef is more delicious. There are immense herds of these, to which I
have previously referred; and their hides and tallow, when slaughtered,
have hitherto composed the principal exports from the country. If I
were to hazard an estimate of the number of hides annually exported, it
would be conjectural, and not worth much. I would suppose, however, at
this time (1847), that the number would not fall much short of 150,000,
and a corresponding number of arrobas (25 pounds) of tallow. The
average value of cattle is about five dollars per head.
The horses and mules are correspondingly numerous with the cattle; and
although the most of them are used in the country, considerable numbers
are driven to Sonora, New Mexico, and other southern provinces, and
some of them to the United States, for a market. They are smaller than
American horses, and I do not think them equal for continuous hard
service; but on short trips, for riding, their speed and endurance are
not often, if ever, equalled by our breed of horses. The value of good
horses is from ten to twenty-five dollars; of mares, five dollars. The
prices have, however, since the Americans came into the country, become
fluctuating, and the value of both horses and cattle is increasing
rapidly.
The wild animals of California are the wild-horse, the elk, the
black-tailed deer, antelope, grizly bear, all in large numbers. Added
to these are the beaver, otter, coyote, hare, squirrel, and the usual
variety of other small animals. There is not so great a variety of
small birds as I have seen elsewhere. I do not consider that the
country presents strong attractions for the ornithologist. But what is
wanting in variety is made up in numbers. The bays and indentations on
the coast, as well as the rivers and lakes interior, swarm with myriads
of wild geese, ducks, swans, and other water birds. The geese and ducks
are a mongrel race, their plumage being variegated, the same as our
barn-yard fowls. Some of the islands in the harbour, near San
Francisco, are white with the _guano_ deposited by these birds; and
boat-loads of eggs are taken from them. The pheasant and partridge are
abundant in the mountains.
In regard to the minerals of California, not much is yet known. It has
been the policy of the owners of land upon which there existed minerals
to conceal them as much as possible. A reason for this has been, that
the law of Mexico is such, that if one man discovers a mine of any kind
upon another man's land, and the proprietor does not work it, the
former may _denounce_ the mine, and take possession of it, and hold it
so long as he continues to work it. Hence the proprietors of land upon
which there are valuable mineral ores conceal their existence as much
as possible. While in California I saw quicksilver, silver, lead, and
iron ores, and the specimens were taken from mines said to be
inexhaustible. From good authority I learned the existence of gold and
copper mines, the metals being combined; and I saw specimens of coal
taken from two or three different points, but I do not know what the
indications were as to quality. Brimstone, saltpetre, muriate and
carbonate of soda, and bitumen, are abundant. There is little doubt
that California is as rich in minerals of all kinds as any portion of
Mexico.
I have taken much pains to describe to the reader, from day to day, and
at different points during my travels in California, the temperature
and weather. It is rarely so cold in the settled portions of California
as to congeal water. But twice only while here I saw ice, and then not
thicker than window-glass. I saw no snow resting upon the ground. The
annual rains commence in November, and continue, with intervals of
pleasant springlike weather, until May. From May to November, usually,
no rain falls. There are, however, exceptions. Rain sometimes falls in
August. The thermometer, at any season of the year, rarely sinks below
50° or rises above 80°. In certain positions on the coast, and
especially at San Francisco, the winds rise diurnally, and blowing
fresh upon the shore render the temperature cool in midsummer. In the
winter the wind blows from the land, and the temperature at these
points is warmer. These local peculiarities of climate are not
descriptive of the general climate of the interior.
For salubrity I do not think there is any climate in the world superior
to that of the coast of California. I was in the country nearly a year,
exposed much of the time to great hardships and privations, sleeping,
for the most part, in the open air, and I never felt while there the
first pang of disease, or the slightest indication of bad health. On
some portions of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers, where
vegetation is rank, and decays in the autumn, the malaria produces
chills and fever, but generally the attacks are slight, and yield
easily to medicine. The atmosphere is so pure and preservative along
the coast, that I never saw putrified flesh, although I have seen, in
midsummer, dead carcasses lying exposed to the sun and weather for
months. They emitted no offensive smell. There is but little disease in
the country arising from the climate.
The botany and flora of California are rich, and will hereafter form a
fruitful field of discovery to the naturalist. There are numerous
plants reported to possess extraordinary medical virtues. The
"soap-plant" (_amole_) is one which appears to be among the most
serviceable. The root, which is the saponaceous portion of the plant,
resembles the onion, but possesses the quality of cleansing linen equal
to any "oleic soap" manufactured by my friends Cornwall and Brother, of
Louisville, Ky.
There is another plant in high estimation with the Californians, called
_canchalagua_, which is held by them as an antidote for all the
diseases to which they are subject, but in particular for cases of
fever and ague. For purifying the blood, and regulating the system, I
think it surpasses all the medicinal herbs that have been brought into
notice, and it must become, in time, one of the most important articles
in the practice of medicine. In the season for flowers, which is
generally during the months of May and June, its pretty pink-coloured
blossoms form a conspicuous display in the great variety which adorn
the fields of California.
The water-power in California is ample for any required mill purposes.
Timber for lumber is not so convenient as is desirable. There is,
however, a sufficiency of it, which, when improvements are made, will
be more accessible. The timber on the Sierra Nevada, the most
magnificent in the world, cannot be, at present, available. The
evergreen oak, that grows generally in the valleys, is not valuable,
except for fuel. But in the _canadas_ of the hills, and at several
places on the coast, particularly at Santa Cruz and Bodega, there is an
amount of pine and fir, adapted for lumber, that will not be consumed
for a long time.
The religion of the Californians is the Roman Catholic, and, like the
people of all Roman Catholic countries, they appear to be devotedly
attached to the forms of their religion. That there are some, I will
not say how many, paganish grafts upon the laws, formalities, and
ceremonies, as prescribed by the "Holy Church Universal" for its
government and observance, is undeniable, but these probably do not
materially affect the system. The females, I noticed, were nearly all
devoutly attached to their religious institutions. I have seen, on
festival or saint days, the entire floor of a church occupied by pious
women, with their children, kneeling in devout worship, and chanting
with much fervency some dismal hymn appertaining to the service. There
are but few of the Jesuit fathers who established the missions now
remaining in the country. The services are performed at several of the
churches that I visited, by native Indians, educated by the _padres_
previous to their expulsion by the Mexican government.