DESCRIPTION OF SOME OF THE CITIES AND TOWNS OF CALIFORNIA,
BEFORE AND AFTER THE DISCOVERY OF THE GOLD MINES.
At the time of the discovery of the existence of gold in the region of
the Sacramento, San Francisco was a very inconsiderable town. As soon
as the news of the discovery was spread among its inhabitants, it
became almost deserted. Indeed, at one time, there was only seven male
inhabitants left in the town. The site of the present city of San
Francisco was not then occupied by more than fifty houses in all.
These were occupied by a few foreign merchants and some native
Californians. The houses were rudely constructed, the principal
materials being adobés, or unburnt bricks. They were generally one
story high, and most of them were erected near the beach; while at the
rear of the "town," was a sandy plain terminated by a range of hills.
But as soon as the news of the gold discovery reached the United
States, and other countries, companies for mining purposes were
immediately formed, and emigrants soon crowded every route to the
"Land of Promise." Then San Francisco began to be the great receptacle
of the emigrants and the merchandise of various kinds necessary for
their maintenance. The following is a very complete picture of the
city after the spreading of the gold news, and the flood of emigration
had commenced.
"Numberless vessels, mostly from the United States, filled the bay, in
front of San Francisco, many of them being deserted by their crews,
and unable to procure others to take their places. On landing, I had
to clamber up a steep hill, on the top of which, and opposite to where
I stood, was a large wooden house, two stories high, and scarcely half
finished. In the rear of this, rose another and a steeper hill, whose
slopes were covered with a multiplicity of tents. To my right, ran a
sort of steep, or precipice, defended by sundry pieces of cannon,
which commanded the entrance to the harbor. I next came to the
'Point,' and, crossing it, found myself within the town.
"The first objects that attracted my notice were several canvas
houses, measuring from ten to forty feet square, some being
grog-shops, others eating establishments, and the larger set apart as
warehouses, or places of storage. The proprietors of the latter were
making enormous sums by the accommodation their tents afforded to the
hundreds of travellers who were arriving every day from different
parts, and who, being extremely embarrassed as to what they should do
with their luggage, were heartily glad to find any safe place to store
it in, and content to pay for the convenience.
"The spectacle which the beach presented from a convenient opening,
whence I could comprise the whole at a glance, was singularly
interesting and curious. A crowd of individuals, in motley garb, and
of every variety of race, might be seen pressing eagerly upward
towards the town, jostling and pushing one another, in their anxiety
to be first, yet looking eagerly about them, as if to familiarize
themselves at once with the country of their adoption. Here were
dandies from the United States and from France, picking their steps
mincingly, as they strove to keep pace with the sturdy fellows who
carried their luggage; their beaver hats, fashionable frock-coats,
irreproachable and well-strapped pantaloons, exciting the derisive
remarks of the spectators, the majority of them 'old Californians,'
whose rough labor at the 'diggins' had taught them to estimate such
_niaiseries_ at their proper value. By their side stalked the stately
and dignified Spaniard, covered with his broad-brimmed, low-crowned
_sombrero_, and gracefully enveloped in his ample _serapa_, set off by
a bright scarlet sash. He turns neither to the right nor to the left,
nor heeds the crowd about him, but keeps on the even tenor of his
way--though even he has occasionally to jump for it--presenting, in
his demeanor and costume, a striking contrast to the more bustling
activity of the Yankees, who are elbowing every one, in their anxiety
to go a-head. A lot of shopboys, too--mere lads, as spruce and neatly
attired as though they had just stepped out of some fashionable
emporium, mingle with the rest, and, as they enter the town, strike up
the popular parody--
'Oh, California. That's the land for me!
I'm bound for the Sacramento, with
The wash-bowl on my knee.'
And presently, their brother-adventurers, excited by hopes of the
wildest kind, join vociferously in chorus, in the exuberance of their
joy.
"A group of Englishmen, muscular in form, and honest in feature, are
chaffering with the keen-witted Yankee porters for the carriage of
their luggage. There is an air of dogged resolution about them, that
plainly indicates they will not submit to what they evidently consider
an imposition. Such a sum for so slender a service! Well, then, they
can carry their baggage themselves: so they will; and, quickly
shouldering it, some depart in the track of the rest, whilst two or
three remain behind, to watch what is left, until their friends
return. They are manifestly well known to one another, and seem to be
almost intimate; the voyage has made them friends.
"Here come a number of Chilians and Peruvians, and a goodly number of
natives from the Sandwich Islands. A couple of Irishmen, too! I know
them by their vivacity, and by the odd trick they have of getting into
every body's way; to say nothing of their broad, merry faces. Their
property is in common, it seems; for they have only one small pack
between them.
"Here come ten or a dozen plainly but comfortably dressed mechanics;
hard-working men they seem, and just the sort of persons to make their
way in a country where the artisan occupies his proper position, and
where honest toil--and dishonest, too, sometimes--is almost certain to
reap a harvest. Far differently will you fare, and far preferable,
too, will be your lot, in regions where privation is the rule, to that
of many amongst your numerous fellow-travellers, unaccustomed as they
are to laborious occupations--with frames uninured to fatigue, and
constitutions unhabituated to scanty fare, to exposure to heat and
cold, and wet and sudden changes! Whilst you are succeeding in your
object, they will grow wearied, disappointed, and home-sick, and long
to be back again on the theatre of their former struggles.
"The human stream ceases not to flow from the vessels in the harbor;
no sooner is one boat-load disposed of than another arrives, and so
on, until the town is gorged with new-comers, who, after a few days'
sojourn, to recruit their strength, after the fatigues of a long and
irksome voyage, depart, and are seen no more for months; many,
perhaps, never to return. Very few of this vast multitude deserve the
epithet of poor. To get here at all requires money; and to maintain
one's self after getting here, the emigrant must have some little
means.
"The majority of the emigrants are men occupying a respectable station
in society; some are even distinguished in their calling; but the
eager desire of making a fortune in a hurry has induced them to throw
up good employments and comfortable homes; to leave friends,
relatives, connexions, wife, children, and familiar associations, to
embark their strength, intelligence, and activity, in this venture.
All is bustle where they have landed: boats going to and fro; rafts
slowly discharging their cumbrous loads; porters anxiously and
interestedly civil; all excited; all bent on gain; ships innumerable
in the bay; mountains around; a clear, blue sky above; and the bright
waters dancing in the sun, until they touch the horizon in the
distance, blending their brightness with his golden track.
"I walked on until I came up to a group of men, who, like myself, were
looking on the busy scene before us with no small degree of interest.
I recognized amongst them two of the volunteers, with whom I forthwith
claimed acquaintance. The whole party had come from the mines, as was
easily to be seen from their appearance, which was something the worse
for wear, their countenances being weather-beaten and bronzed by
exposure; whilst their attire, consisting of buckskin coats, leather
leggings, and broad-brimmed hats, denoted the sort of labor in which
they had been recently engaged. I learned from them, in the course of
a subsequent conversation, that they had all of them been successful
at the 'diggings.' One of the number had made, or 'picked,' two
thousand dollars, and the rest, from that to nine thousand dollars
each, within the space of a few months. With this, however, they were
far from satisfied, most of them being determined to realize a large
fortune before they quitted the country; for not one of them seemed to
have the remotest intention of settling.
"The party had come down from the mines to make purchases, and to
enjoy a little recreation. They were admirable specimens of their
class--hardy in appearance and rough in demeanor; but shrewd, withal,
and toil-enduring. For the moment, their conversation turned upon the
prospects of the newly-landed emigrants--for I should have stated that
there were one or two arrivals in the harbor--and they were unsparing
of their remarks upon such of the new comers as by their dress, or any
physical peculiarity, offered a fair target for their witticisms,
which were not less pointed than coarse.
"The discovery of the gold mines, has done at once for San Francisco
what it was reasonable to anticipate time only could have effected;
and its progress in importance has far outstripped the most sanguine
expectations which could be based upon any hypothesis hazarded on the
strength of its admirable position and facilities for trade.
Nevertheless, its growth seems unnatural; and, looking at it as I saw
it then, it left on my mind the impression of instability, so
marvellous was it to gaze upon a city of tents, wood, and canvas,
starting up thus suddenly, forming but a halting-place to the
thousands who visited it; having for citizens a large majority of
gamblers and speculators; and presenting of civilization but the
rudest outline, and some of its worst vices. It was impossible,
indeed, for an observer to contemplate San Francisco, at this
particular period of its history, and not to feel that every thing
about it savored of transition. A storm or a fire must have destroyed
the whole in a few hours; for every house, shed, or tent, had
manifestly been constructed merely to serve the end of the actual
occupier; they were all adapted for trading, but not a convenience or
a comfort appertained to them, to indicate a desire or an intention of
settlement. Every day brought new-comers, and added to the number of
ephemeral structures which crowded the hill-sides. Mechanics of every
description of calling were at work, earnestly, busily, and
cheerfully; and, whichever way I turned, there was bustle and
activity; yet, withal, I felt that such a state of things was unsound,
because resting on what was essentially speculative, and I doubted not
but a great change must come before the city could be regarded as
substantially advancing. Comprised at a glance, it presented no other
appearance save that of a confused crowd of tenements, of every
variety of construction; some high, some low, perched upon the steep
hills, or buried in the deep valleys--but still tents and canvas every
where and any where, their numbers defying calculation, their
structure and position all analysis. There existed neither wells nor
ponds within a very considerable distance; and what struck me as most
singular, being aware that the Spaniards had a mission here, there was
no sign of a church. I subsequently ascertained that the site of the
Mission of Dolores, about five miles distant, had been preferred by
the Spaniards, and that divine service was performed there still.
"As I proceeded along the road leading into the principal street of
the city, I was uncomfortably reminded that it would soon become
necessary for me to select a place where I could procure refreshment;
and in connexion with this necessity, arose another consideration no
less important, namely, where I should lodge? There was no other mode
of solving the difficulty, save by an exploration of the localities;
accordingly, I kept these objects in view, whilst I also gratified my
curiosity by continuing my perambulations.
"In this same road, but nearer to the entrance of the main street than
I should say was, under any circumstances, altogether pleasant, stood
the _correl_ of the Washington Market, being a spacious area of
ground, inclosed with stakes, over which were stretched raw hides.
Owing to the large number of cattle slaughtered here for the use of
the inhabitants, the odor from this place was insufferable, and I
quickened my pace until my olfactory organs became sensible of a purer
atmosphere.
"I turned into the principal street, and soon came up to the market
itself, which is a wooden house, about thirty feet square, kept by an
American. To my right, as I advanced, were some stores and hotels,
and a confectioner's shop of remarkably neat and clean appearance:
these were all one story, wooden buildings. One of the hotels was
appropriately designated as 'The Colonnade.' It was kept by a
volunteer named Huxley, and differed from every similar establishment
in the town, inasmuch as the proprietor allowed neither gambling nor
drunkenness on his premises. To this the 'Gotham Saloon,' a little
further on, offered a perfect contrast, for here there were several
_monté_ rooms and a large bowling-alley, where persons who had a taste
for the latter amusement might indulge in their favorite pastime for a
dollar a game. This saloon was likewise kept by two volunteers, as was
also the confectioner's by a fourth; so that three of the most noted
houses in the town were rented by men, who, a few months before,
scarcely possessed any thing save their enterprise and their industry,
but who were now on the high road to opulence. The more credit was due
to them, and others of their brethren whom fortune had similarly
favored, because, at first, they had deep-rooted prejudices to
encounter, which prudence and perseverance only could have enabled
them to overcome.
"I came next to the Square, or 'Plaza,' on one side of which, and
fronting it, stood the 'Miner's Bank,' established by a Mr. Wright, a
keen speculator, who had secured possession of a large extent of
landed property, which he was turning to the very best account. On the
left of the Plaza, I noticed a spacious-looking wooden building, two
stories high, called the 'Parker House;' but the handsome piazza in
front caused me to hesitate on the threshold; for I apprehended--and
not without reason--that, even in California, appearances must be
paid for; as, therefore, my purse was not overstocked, I prudently
sought a more modest establishment.
"I passed another hotel, similar to this one, but not quite so large,
and came presently to a low wooden house, of most unattractive and
unprepossessing exterior, which was dignified by the name of the
'_Café Français_.' As this seemed likely to suit my present
convenience, and to promise a scale of prices on a par with its
external appearance, I entered boldly, and seated myself at the
dining-table. I noticed, as I went in, that, notwithstanding the
poverty without, there was abundance within; the counter being
literally overcharged with French pastry, a variety of ingenious
culinary preparations, and some foreign liquors.
"After I had finished my repast, consisting of a beef-steak, two eggs,
and a couple of cups of coffee, I prepared to depart. I specify the
items of which my repast was made up, because of the price I paid for
them--namely, two dollars and a half. I was informed, on hazarding an
observation respecting the amount, that the charges were excessively
moderate, any thing in the shape of a dinner being usually charged one
dollar and fifty cents; half a dollar each for the eggs, which were
extras, was only a reasonable price for such luxuries, as they
frequently sold for double. I considered the information thus obtained
to be cheap, of its kind, and went away with a mental reservation not
to eat any more eggs in California, unless they were of another
description than the golden ones.
"As I repassed the 'Parker House,' the _hotel, par excellence_, of San
Francisco, I went in, knowing that, like all similar establishments,
there were the usual amusements going on within.
"This is not only the largest, but the handsomest building in San
Francisco; and, having been constructed at enormous expense, and
entirely on speculation, a concurrence of fortunate circumstances
alone, such as had followed upon the discovery of the gold mines,
could have insured its prosperity. It was now one of the most
frequented, fashionable, and firmly established hotels in the country;
and, in so far as it presented a model to the builders and settlers in
the town, was a signal illustration of the shrewdness and enterprise
of the Yankee character, and a standing credit to the projectors and
proprietors.
"It is built entirely of wood, and contains two very spacious
principal rooms; the one a dining-room, the other set apart for
billiards. Besides these, there are three saloons of lesser
dimensions, especially devoted to gambling, and two well supplied
bars--one below, to the right of the entry, the other in the
billiard-room. The portion of the hotel that is not set apart for the
usual offices and conveniences is divided off into innumerable
chambers, which are occupied by the superior classes of
emigrants--lawyers, doctors, money-brokers, _cum multis aliis_.
"The saloon contains two very handsome billiard-tables, which are
constantly occupied by players, chiefly Americans, some of them of
first-rate excellence. The charge was a dollar per game of a hundred,
and they were no sooner vacated by one party than another came in.
"The establishment contained nine gambling-tables, which were crowded
day and night, by the citizens and the miners; many of the latter
staking very large sums upon the turn of a card. The stakes, however,
varied from twenty-five cents to five thousand dollars; and the
excitement of some of the losers was frequently fearful to
contemplate. Some who gained largely prudently withdrew; and I was
informed that, a few days previously to my arrival, a new-comer from
the States, who was bound for the mines, having come into the saloon,
and tried his fortune at the _monte_ tables, luckily made twenty
thousand dollars, with which he returned home, by the steamer, two
days afterwards.
"The 'Golden Eagle,' (_l'Aguila d'Oro_) is another gambling
establishment, situated in one of the streets leading into the Plaza.
It is a canvas house, about fifty feet square, fitted up with the
requisites for play, and let out by the proprietor at the rate of
fifteen hundred dollars a month. Every available spot around the
tables was crowded to inconvenience by persons who were engaged deeply
in the game, the majority standing up and watching the chances with
countenances betokening the greatest excitement.
"I now proceeded to the City Hotel, a large but somewhat antiquated
building, constructed of _adobé_, after the Spanish fashion, but
hybridized by American improvements. The interior was even more
insufferable than the El Dorado, in respect of the boisterousness of
its frequenters. In the first room that I entered were five
gambling-tables, doing a 'smashing business'--a term employed,
somewhat in contradiction to its import, to denote prosperity. The
majority of the players were Americans and other foreigners,
intermixed with a goodly number of Spaniards of the lowest order.
There was the same excitement, the same recklessness, and the same
trickery here, as at the other gambling saloons, only infinitely more
noise and smoke, and swearing and inebriety.
"Here I met with another of the volunteers, who proposing a walk, we
went out together, and proceeded to the Plaza. I found a good many old
acquaintances set up in business at this spot; one, who had been a
captain, had recently turned money-broker, and now kept an office for
the exchange of coin and gold-dust, having entered into partnership
with a highly respectable and agreeable individual, of active business
habits, who promised to prove a great acquisition to the concern.
"We soon reached a low, long, _adobé_ building, situated at the upper
side of the square, and which my companion told me was the Custom
House. To the right of the Plaza stood the Saint Charles's Hotel, a
wooden edifice covered in with canvas, and the Peytona House, an
establishment of a similar description, in both of which we did not
fail to find the usual games carried on.
"The streets leading down to the water-side contain comparatively few
hotels or eating-houses, they being chiefly wood and canvas
trading-stores. I observed amongst them several newly opened auction
and commission-rooms, where goods were being put up, recommended and
knocked down in true Yankee style. An immense number of wooden
frame-houses in course of erection met our view in every direction;
and upon remarking that many of them appeared to have been purposely
left incomplete, I ascertained that this arose from the extreme
difficulty of procuring lumber, which, on account of its scarcity,
occasionally fetched an incredibly high price. A good deal of it is
brought from Oregon, and some from South America. Many of the larger
houses, but far inferior, notwithstanding, to such of the same kind as
could easily be procured in New York at a rental of from 300 to 400
dollars a-year, cost here at least 10,000 dollars to build them, the
lots on which they were erected being valued at sums varying from
30,000 to 50,000 dollars, according to the locality. Many spots of
ground, just large enough for a small trading-house or a tent to stand
upon, let at from 1200 to 2000 dollars.
"Amongst the various emigrants who daily flocked into the city--for
each day brought its fresh arrivals--were numerous Chinese, and a very
considerable number of Frenchmen, from the Sandwich Islands and from
South America. The former had been consigned, with houses and
merchandise, to certain Americans in San Francisco, to whom they were
bound by contract, as laborers, to work at a scale of wages very far
below the average paid to mechanics and others generally. The houses
they brought with them from China, and which they set up where they
were wanted, were infinitely superior and more substantial than those
erected by the Yankees, being built chiefly of logs of wood, or
scantling, from six to eight inches in thickness, placed one on the
top of the other, to form the front, rear, and sides; whilst the roofs
were constructed on an equally simple and ingenious plan, and were
remarkable for durability.
"These Chinese had all the air of men likely to prove good citizens,
being quiet, inoffensive, and particularly industrious. I once went
into an eating-house, kept by one of these people, and was astonished
at the neat arrangement and cleanliness of the place, the excellence
of the table, and moderate charges. It was styled the 'Canton
Restaurant;' and so thoroughly Chinese was it in its appointments, and
in the manner of service, that one might have easily fancied one's
self in the heart of the Celestial Empire. The barkeeper--though he
spoke excellent English--was a Chinese, as were also the attendants.
Every article that was sold, even of the most trifling kind, was set
down, in Chinese characters, as it was disposed of; it being the duty
of one of the waiters to attend to this department. This he did very
cleverly and quickly, having a sheet of paper for the purpose, on
which the article and the price were noted down in Chinese characters,
by means of a long, thin brush, moistened in a solution of Indian or
Chinese ink. As I had always been given to understand that these
people were of dirty habits, I feel it only right to state that I was
delighted with the cleanliness of this place, and am gratified to be
able to bear testimony to the injustice of such a sweeping assertion.
"As for the French, they seemed entirely out of their element in this
Yankee town; and this circumstance is not to be wondered at, when the
climate and the habits of the people are taken into consideration, and
also the strange deficiencies they must have observed in the ordinary
intercourse of life between the citizens, so different from the
polished address, common even amongst the peasantry in their rudest
villages; to say nothing of the difficulty of carrying on business
amongst a people whose language they did not understand. But their
universal goal was the mines; and to the mines they went, with very
few exceptions.
"Speaking of them reminds me of a '_Café Restaurant_,' in San
Francisco, kept by a very civil Frenchman, and situated on the way to
the Point. I mention it, because I one day made here the most
uncomfortable repast it had ever been my lot to sit down to. Yet this
was not owing to any lack of attention on the part of the proprietor,
to any inferiority in the quality of his provisions, or to any
deficiency of culinary skill in their preparation; but simply to the
prevalence of the pest to which I have already alluded as invading my
own tent, namely, the dust. The house was built chiefly of wood, and
had a canvas roof, but this was insufficient to keep out the
impalpable particles with which the air was charged, and which settled
upon and insinuated themselves into every article in the place. There
was dust on the counter, on the shelves, on the seats, on the
decanters, and in them; on the tables, in the salt, on my beef-steak,
and in my coffee. There was dust on the polite landlord's cheeks, and
in his amiable wife's eyes, which she was wiping with the corner of a
dusty apron. I hurried my meal, and was paying my score, when I caught
sight of my own face in a dusty-looking and dust-covered glass near
the bar, and saw that I too had become covered with it, my entire
person being literally encrusted with a coat of powder, from which I
experienced considerable difficulty in cleansing myself.
"Notwithstanding all I had seen of San Francisco, there yet existed
here a world apart, that I should never have dreamed of, but for my
being one day called upon to act upon a jury appointed to sit in
inquest over a person who had died there. This place was called the
'Happy Valley.'
"Previously to our repairing thither, we attended at the court-house,
to take the usual oath. Proceeding then through the lower part of the
town, we reached the beach, along which, by the water-side, we walked
for a distance of three miles--up to our ancles in mud and sand--until
we came to a spot where there were innumerable tents pitched, of all
sizes, forms, and descriptions, forming an irregular line stretching
along the shore for about two miles.
"The ground was, of course, low, damp, and muddy; and the most
unmistakeable evidences of discomfort, misery, and sickness, met our
view on every side, for the locality was one of the unwholesomest in
the vicinity of the town. Yet here, to avoid the payment of enormous
ground-rents, and at the same time to combine the advantage of cheap
living, were encamped the major portion of the most recently arrived
emigrants, and, amongst the rest, those of the ship Brooklyn, on one
of the passengers of which the inquest was about to be held.
"This, then, was the 'Happy Valley;' a term no doubt applied to it in
derision, taking into consideration the squalor, the discomfort, the
filth, the misery, and the distress that were rife there.
"I am satisfied that much of the crime and lawlessness that is
prevalent in California--particularly in towns like San Francisco,
where the ruder sex are congregated exclusively and in large
multitudes--is attributable to the want of the humanizing presence of
women. In San Francisco there were about ten thousand males, and
scarcely a hundred females; for, although in many parts of California
the latter outnumber the former, the national prejudice against color
was too strong for legitimate amalgamation to take place."
Such was San Francisco soon after the discovery of the riches of the
Sacramento region. From an insignificant settlement, sometimes the
resort of whaling-vessels, and of a few traders, it was quickly
transferred into a city, with an extensive and constantly increasing
commerce. In its streets and squares, erected where, just before, was
a desert plain, people of almost every nation were seen busily engaged
in traffic, or preparing for departure to the gold region. It seemed
the work of the enchanter.
Although, like San Francisco, _Monterey_ was almost deserted by its
inhabitants upon the receipt of information of the gold discovery, it
soon began to give signs of improvement. The bay, upon the shore of
which the town is located, is more exposed to the swell of the sea,
and to the north-west storms, than the Bay of San Francisco, and
therefore the harbor is inferior. Yet Monterey received a considerable
share of the tide of emigration. Those who stopped there were
generally persons who intended to make a permanent settlement, and
engage in mercantile pursuits; and, therefore, though the increase of
the town was not so rapid as that of San Francisco, it carried with it
more denotements of stability.
The town is situated on a short bend near the entrance of the bay,
upon its southern side. The point of land which partly protects its
harbor from the sea is called Point Pinos. A very neat and pretty
appearance is presented by the houses of the native Californians,
which are generally constructed of _adobés_ and white-plastered. Those
of the Americans are easily distinguished by their being built of logs
and planks, and presenting a more substantial, but rougher appearance.
The town is surrounded by hills, covered with lofty pine trees. Upon a
height which overlooks the town and harbor, a fort was built by the
Americans during the war with Mexico, and a military force continued
there till after the treaty of peace.
The country in the neighborhood of Monterey is fertile, and yields
ample reward to the agriculturist. There would, therefore, be no lack
of supplies of provisions, but for the indolence of the Californians,
owning the different _ranches_ in the surrounding country. From this
cause, great scarcity of provisions of all kinds is often the result.
Notwithstanding the additions made by Yankee enterprise and
innovation, the general manners and customs of the inhabitants of
Monterey retain all their old Spanish character; and some of the
customs of the natives, particularly their amusements, are heartily
joined in by the more susceptible of the new-comers. The fandango and
the serenade with the guitar, still hold their sway as freely and as
undisturbed as in old Spain. The winters are severely felt here. The
rain causes torrents of water to pour down from the hills in the rear
of the town, deluging the principal streets, and rendering their
passage almost impossible. During this period, the only resort of the
inhabitants for passing away the time is the vice of gambling, in
which they early become adepts. This gambling propensity, noticed
among the Californians, induced a considerable number of the initiated
to emigrate from the United States, and Monterey received a goodly
proportion of them. Such an increase of the population, however, could
not be considered desirable. Upon the whole, though in a less degree,
the effect of the golden attractions of California could be seen at
Monterey as at San Francisco. Though it did not spring at once from a
small settlement to a large city, it was considerably improved, and in
1849, it numbered more than a thousand inhabitants.
A short distance south of Monterey, is the town of _Santa Barbara_.
Its situation is one of the most beautiful in California. It is built
upon a plain ten miles in extent. In front is a broad bay, having a
smooth beach of nearly thirty miles in extent. On the right, towards
the water, is a lofty eminence rising nearly a thousand feet. Directly
back of the town is a range of almost impassable hills, running in a
diagonal direction. There is no harbor in the bay, and vessels are
obliged to anchor in an open roadstead; and when the south-east winds
prevail, they are in constant peril.
The progress of the town was not much affected by the gold mania. But
though it offers no attractions for mercantile or gold digging
purposes, it has others which will, no doubt, make it a favorite place
of residence. In 1849, it contained about one hundred and fifty
houses, built of _adobés_, and all one story in height. The town is
celebrated for being the residence of the aristocracy of California,
and for its beautiful women. Its inhabitants are principally
_rancheros_, who visit their _ranches_ two or three times in a year to
see to the marking and killing of their cattle, and then spend the
remainder of the year in the town, enjoying life as much as possible.
Indolence is the general vice. A horse to ride, plenty to eat, and
_cigaros_ to smoke constitute their _summum bonum_. Santa Barbara is
more celebrated for its fandangos than any other town on the coast.
These are open to all comers, and constitute the general pastime of an
evening. The climate is mild and spring-like, and, independent of the
attractions in the town, the surrounding country offers many of the
most beautiful rides in California. About a mile in the rear of the
town, at the top of a gentle slope, is the mission of Santa Barbara,
with its old, white walls and cross-mounted spires. The presiding
priest of California resides there, and a number of the converted
Indians still remain and cultivate the surrounding soil. The mission
is in a better condition than any other in the country.
_Ciudad de los Angeles_, or the City of the Angels, is situated a
hundred and ten miles south of Santa Barbara, at the end of an immense
plain, extending from the city twenty-five miles, to San Pedro, its
port. This is the garden spot of California. Before the discovery of
the gold mines, the City of the Angels was the largest town in the
country. It contains about two thousand inhabitants, most of whom are
wealthy _rancheros_, who dwell there to cultivate the grape. As in all
the towns of California, the houses are constructed of _adobé_ and
covered with asphaltum, which is found in great quantities near the
town. The northern section is laid out in streets, and is occupied by
the trading citizens; the southern section is made up of gardens,
vinyards and orchards, which are made extremely productive by
irrigating the soil with the water of a large stream running through
them. Many acres of ground are covered with vines, which, being
trimmed every year, are kept about six feet in height. In the fall of
the year, these vines are burdened with rich clusters of grapes; and,
in addition to these, great quantities of fruit of various kinds are
raised. The surrounding country abounds with game of all kinds. In the
rainy season, millions of ducks and geese cover the plains between Los
Angeles and San Pedro, while the neighboring hills abound with quails,
deer, elk, and antelope. The vineyards produce such quantities of
grapes, that many thousand barrels of wine and _aguardiente_--the
brandy of the country--are annually manufactured. The wine is of
various kinds; some of it being equal to the best produced in Europe.
The inhabitants of the City of the Angels, being generally of the
wealthy class of Californians, have always strongly adhered to the
institutions of Mexico. They offered the most strenuous resistance to
the American forces at the time of the conquest of California, but
were vanquished in two battles, and the city taken. All the customs
and amusements peculiar to the Spaniards and the countries which they
colonized, are here in full vogue. Music, dancing, singing,
slaughtering cattle, or gambling, are the usual pastimes of the
inhabitants. Yet, with these trifling occupations, attachment to the
Roman Catholic church and a careful observance of its ceremonies, is
characteristic of all. Upon the tolling of the bell, gaming, swearing,
dancing--every thing is stopped while the prescribed prayer is
muttered, and then all go on as before.
Though Los Angeles did not experience any increase of population
consequent upon the flood of emigration to California, its delightful
climate and its fertile soil are gradually procuring it such
consideration as will doubtless lead to the filling up of the
surrounding country.
_San Diego_ is the most southern town of Upper California. It is
situated on the coast, three miles north of the line separating Upper
and Lower California. The harbor is inferior only to that of San
Francisco. It is perfectly sheltered by land from the gales at all
seasons of the year. Vessels can lie within a cable's length of the
beach, there being no surf running upon it. The town is situated about
three miles from the beach, and is about the same size as Santa
Barbara. It is a place of far greater facilities and promise, however,
than the last mentioned town. San Diego has always been the most
important depot for hides, upon the coast; and there is no doubt that
an extensive inland trade will be carried on between it and the towns
in the interior, as the region of the Colorado and the Gila becomes
settled. Since the conquest of Upper California and the discovery of
the gold, the progress of the town has been rapid. From being an
inconsiderable settlement sustained principally by a mission, which
had early been established there, it has become a town of great
commercial promise. The climate being mild and pleasant, and the
surrounding country abounding in game and adapted for grazing, thus
making provisions abundant, San Diego is a very desirable place of
residence.
The town of San José is situated in a fertile valley, near the most
southern extremity of the Bay of San Francisco. On the south of the
town runs a small stream, and the place is surrounded by plains,
affording fine pasturage. Being situated on the direct route from the
southern ports to the gold mines, San José received a considerable
stimulus from their discovery. A profitable trade was soon
established, and the town improved very rapidly. It is now a town of
about four thousand inhabitants, and the increase still continues
rapid. In a greater degree than any of the older towns of California,
it has all the evidence of a thriving and progressive place. The
greater part of the buildings are constructed in a style which shows
the inroads of the taste of the people from the Atlantic States. A
number of Mormons settled here at an early period, and built a great
many neat wooden houses and cottages, which contrast favorably with
the heavy old _adobés_ residences of the native inhabitants. Flour and
saw-mills have been erected, but the scarcity of water is severely
felt by their proprietors.
San José in respect to climate and general abundance of the
necessaries and luxuries of life, is one of the most desirable places
of residence in California. Though situated a short distance inland,
and thus deprived of the facilities which contributed to the rapid
growth of San Francisco, the fertile plain surrounding it, and the
increase of the inland trade and travel will draw to the town and its
neighborhood a thriving, business population. The old mission of San
José is situated about ten miles from the town. The establishment and
the grounds belonging to it are in a state of decay. The population
there is about three hundred in number, most of whom are Indians, and
all of them in a degraded condition.
The emigration to the gold region caused many towns to spring up, as
if by magic, in its neighborhood, and on the route to it from San
Francisco. These were principally the stopping places of the
gold-seekers, or the seat of a trade in provisions and articles
manufactured in the States and transported thither. Some of these
towns have become of a size sufficient to warrant the assertion that
they will soon rival the cities of the Atlantic coast of the United
States. The progress of these places is aided by the enormous price of
real estate in San Francisco.
One of the most promising of the new towns is called Benicia. It is
situated on the Strait of Carquinez, thirty-five miles north of San
Francisco. The strait forms the entrance of Suisan into Pablo Bay.
The site of Benicia is a gentle slope, which, descending to the
water, becomes almost a plain. Vessels of the first class can lie at
anchor at its bank, and discharge their cargoes, and the harbor is
safe from violent winds. The town has been made the head-quarters of
the Pacific division of the United States army, and a site for a
navy-yard has been selected by Commodore Jones. The marks of
governmental favor show in what estimation the position of Benicia is
held. The town was laid out in 1848, by Robert Semple and Thomas O.
Larkin. Early in 1850, lots were selling at very high rates, and the
population numbered more than a thousand persons.
Between Benicia and Sacramento city, several towns have been laid out,
all in very favorable positions. The principal are--Martinez, on the
southern shore of the strait of Carquinez, nearly opposite Benicia;
New York of the Pacific, at the junction of the River San Joaquin with
the Bay of Suisan; Suisan, on the west bank of the Sacramento, at a
distance of eighty miles from San Francisco.
Next to San Francisco, Sacramento is the largest city in California.
It is situated on the eastern bank of the Sacramento River, one
hundred miles from San Francisco, and sixty-five from Suisan Bay. It
is located on a beautiful plain, which is not elevated more than ten
or twelve feet above the river at low water. This being insufficient
to protect it from the rise of the waters of the river, several
disastrous floods have occurred during the existence of the city. Up
to this point, the river is navigable for large class steamers. Ships
drawing not more than twelve feet of water may go up that far at all
seasons; and, besides these commercial advantages, Sacramento is the
natural trading depot for the richest portion of the mining regions.
Where the city of Sacramento now stands, at the time of the gold
discovery, there stood, "solitary and alone," a small fort. This
formed the nucleus, about which, at the commencement of the rush of
emigration, the town soon sprang into existence. Its increase has been
almost as rapid as that of San Francisco. During the rainy season of
the early part of 1850, the population numbered somewhere between
twenty and thirty thousand. But at that period, a considerable portion
of the gold-diggers made Sacramento and the other towns in the
neighborhood of the mines, their resort, to escape the severity of
spending the season at the open and exposed valleys of the gold
region. The city is regularly laid out, but its appearance evidences
the rapidity of its erection. The greater number of the houses and
stores in the neighborhood of the river are constructed of wood, while
the outskirts, particularly upon the south, are occupied by the tents
of the constantly-arriving overland emigrants. Before the commencement
of the last rainy season, the number of these emigrants reached two or
three thousand. They squatted upon the vacant lots which had been
surveyed and sold to other persons. This caused a considerable
agitation in the town, which continued till the disastrous flood swept
both the parties off the ground, and thus left the field clear for
another commencement. Sacramento is the grand receptacle of the
overland emigration, and this, combined with its commercial
facilities, will continue to give the city a superiority over the
majority of the other places in California.
Adjoining Sacramento city, is the town of Sutter. It is situated on
the highest and healthiest ground on the river. It is not, like
Sacramento, subject to an annual overflow. The town was originally
laid out by Captain Sutter and others; and is owned by Hon. John
McDougall, Lieutenant-Governor of California, and Captain Sutter. It
has a thriving business population, and its position, and the
fertility of the neighboring country will soon make it a place of
importance.
Stockton is to the southern portion of the gold region what Sacramento
is to the northern. It is situated upon a slough, or a succession of
sloughs, containing the back waters formed by the junction of the San
Joaquin and Sacramento Rivers. It is about fifty miles from the mouth
of the San Joaquin, and one hundred from San Francisco. The ground
upon which it is situated is high and is not subject to overflow.
Vessels drawing nine feet water can ascend the San Joaquin as far as
Stockton, and discharge their cargoes on the bank. In the latter part
of 1848, the town was laid out and a frame building erected by Charles
M. Weber. In eight months from that time, it contained a population of
about two thousand permanent residents, and a large number of
temporary residents, on their road to the mines. Communication is with
San Francisco by means of steamboats and launches, and the commerce of
the town is constantly increasing.
Other towns exist--on paper--in the neighborhood of San Francisco and
the gold region, and, doubtless, they will, in the course of time,
become settled by a thriving, go-ahead population from the Atlantic
States. Land speculation in California is as profitable a business as
gold-digging--and less toilsome. Many of the shrewd ones, who early
took advantage of this "tide in the affairs of men," have already
reached the goal of their hopes, an independent fortune. Those who saw
how things would turn out, and purchased land in the neighborhood of
the region which promised to receive the principal current of the
emigration to California, found themselves wealthy in the short space
of a few months.
The great influx of emigrants to Upper California has brought the
subject of the settlement of the peninsula into consideration. There
is but little doubt that Lower California will, sooner or later,
become the property of the United States, and then its settlement and
progress will be rapid. The coast upon the gulf affords many excellent
harbors, and the mountainous region of the interior gives abundant
evidence of mineral wealth, as far as it has been explored. Several
silver mines have been opened in different places, the principal of
which are at San Antonio, between La Paz and Cape San Lucas. Near
Loretto, the first settlement in California, extensive copper mines
have been opened, and lead and iron abound in all directions. The
pearl fishery of the gulf has already yielded an enormous wealth,
having been prosecuted from the time of the discovery of the
peninsula. The fishing season lasts from May till November, and more
than a hundred vessels are yearly engaged in the business. These
resources, despite the general unfitness of the country for
agricultural purposes, will soon attract their full share of
consideration, and cause an influx of emigrants and adventurers from
the United States and other countries. Some portions of the country
are susceptible of irrigation, and might thus be rendered fit for
cultivation.
The principal port of Lower California is La Paz, situated near the
mouth of the gulf. The bay on the shore of which the town is located,
is of great extent and beauty, and possesses a large number of rich
pearl oyster-beds--the pearl fishery having at one time supplied the
chief article of traffic on this part of the coast. The country around
the bay is elevated and picturesque, though rugged; the soil being
composed principally of rock and sand, wildly and irregularly covered
with the most prickly species of stunted bushes and shrubs of sunburnt
hue. The town of La Paz is neatly built and presents a pretty
appearance. The streets are lined with willow trees, and these meeting
overhead, form a delicious shade during the heat of the day. The
houses are all constructed of _adobés_, plastered white, and thatched
with the leaves of the palm tree. The beach is lined with palms,
cocoa-nut, fig and tamarind trees. La Paz was taken by the American
volunteers during the war with Mexico, and considerable destruction of
the orchards, gardens and houses of the town was the consequence. The
harbor offers great advantages for a naval station, and such,
doubtless, it will become.
San José, the most southern town of Lower California, is situated
about half-way between Cape San Lucas and Cape Palmo, on a sort of
desert plain, extending from the beautiful valley of San José to the
ocean. It is located about three miles from the beach, and is one of
the strangest creations in the shape of a town imaginable.
The heavy rains and freshets which occur in the wet season, in this
region, render every elevation invaluable as a preservative against
the dangers of sudden inundations; hence all the houses are built
upon steeps, rocks, and hillocks, necessarily irrespective of order;
so that, even in the most densely populated districts, barren hills,
as yet unoccupied by dwellings, are frequently to be met with, with
deep hollows in every part, converting mere visits into positive
enterprises, in most instances both tedious and disagreeable. To these
great natural disadvantages, the indolence of the inhabitants has
added others, their common practice being to dig for _adobé_ clay at
the nearest convenient spot, namely, for the most part, opposite their
own doors; thus, one would imagine that the site of the whole town had
been visited and disturbed by a succession of miniature earthquakes,
which, whilst they had left the houses themselves unshaken, had heaved
and perched them up in the most uncomfortable positions, and in the
most inaccessible places. In the very centre of the principal street,
which appears to have once upon a time been level, are three or four
immense clay-pits, serving as a receptacle for dead dogs, cats, bones,
vegetable refuse, and, in a word, every description of rubbish and
nuisance a very dirty population can convey to or discharge in them.
But a description of the town would be incomplete without adding that
it is dotted about in these hollows, and in the sand-holes in the
rocks, with patches of thorn, brush, and cacti, forming a singular yet
refreshing contrast with the general barrenness of the region itself,
the whole being surrounded by a bleak mountainous range, which
increases in elevation until it blends with the clear sky, far in the
distance.
The principal, indeed the only regular street in the town, is wide and
long, the houses being constructed of _adobés_ and cane, thatched with
palm leaves. It is blocked up at the remoter end by the fort, which
stands upon a wide foundation of rock of considerable elevation;
various portions of the _adobé_ walls connecting the crags having been
pierced, so as to allow artillery to be trained through the
embrasures, whilst, in other parts, there are numerous loop-holes for
musketry. There are some very awkward cavities amongst these rocks,
produced by digging for clay for the _adobé_ work. The fort is
flat-roofed and parapetted, having portholes for cannon; and below, in
the very centre of the building, occupying about a third of its entire
length, runs a thick wall, forming a crescent, well mounted with heavy
guns. At the end of this crescent, between it and the front wall, is
the entrance to the fort--a mere aperture, barely wide enough to allow
of one man's passing in.
These defences proved to be of great advantage to a small party of
Americans that landed at San José, during the war between the United
States and Mexico, and were compelled to take shelter in the old
quartel, or barracks. There they were surrounded by the Californians,
and stood a siege of several weeks', suffering incredible hardships.
The population of San José numbers about three thousand, the majority
being semi-Indians, or the pure descendants of the Mexicans. There is
little promise of any considerable increase in the size of the town,
owing to the natural disadvantages of situation.
The other towns of Lower California are--San Antonio, in the
neighborhood of an extensive silver mine, which has been worked for a
long time with considerable profit; Loreto, on the gulf coast, about
two hundred miles north of La Paz; San Domingo and Todos Santos, on
the Pacific coast. The latter town is situated on the bay of the same
name, and is the most northerly part of Lower California. The church
and mission buildings at this place are the largest and most imposing
structures of the kind in Lower California. The church has a handsome
front and a lofty steeple. The mission is the residence of the head of
the church in Lower California. There is every reason to believe,
that, when the richer portions of Upper California begin to get a
little crowded, the tide of emigration will be turned to the south,
and the ports of the peninsula will become of great commercial
importance. Then, if not before, the country will become the property
of the United States, either by way of purchase, or after the manner
of Texas.