848 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



a teacher. It is intended to present the 

 distinctive characteristics of the genera of 

 the family, which are not described in the 

 usual text-books, with sufficient compactness 

 for easy use in field-work. The attempt 

 has, therefore, been made to bring together, 

 in systematic form and a convenient shape, 

 such information as would enable a student 

 to learn to recognize a number of the more 

 conspicuous genera. Half of the leaves are 

 left blank for the convenience of students 

 wishing to insert notes and sketches. 



History of California. By Hubert Howe 

 Bancroft. Vol. IV. San Francisco : A. 

 L. Bancroft & Co. Pp. 186. Vol. V. 

 San Francisco: The History Company. 

 Pp. 184. 



The fourth volume continues the his- 

 tory as to general affairs from 1836, and 

 as to local affairs from 1840 to 1845. The 

 story of the secularization of the missions 

 is carried on. Among other topics of inter- 

 est, the doings of foreigners, American oc- 

 cupation, the " Graham affair," the coming 

 of Sutter, and the establishment of New 

 Helvetia, are treated in a new light. The 

 career and character of Sutter whose story 

 is closely connected with the awakening of 

 the gold-fever and the occupation of the 

 country by American miners are reviewed 

 in full. This man hardly appears here as 

 the public-spirited citizen which many have 

 been disposed to regard him, but as a reck- 

 less adventurer and speculator. The rec- 



t 



ords of the several overland immigrant 

 parties are given, beginning with the Bat- 

 terson or Bidwell party, in 1841, and in- 

 cluding the companies of Workman and 

 Rowland in the same year; of Hastings, 

 Chiles, and Walker, in 1843 ; of Fremont, 

 Kelsey, and Stevens, or Murphy, in 1844; 

 and of McMahon and Clyman, Swasey and 

 Todd, Sublette, Grigsby, and Ide, Fremont 

 and Walker, and Hastings and Semple, in 

 1845 ; also accounts of Commodore Jones's 

 achievements in 1842, of the Russians who 

 left California in 1841, the Hudson Bay 

 Company's branch in San Francisco, the 

 fur-hunters' operations in the interior, and 

 the trading - caravans from New Mexico. 

 Prominent among the topics of foreign re- 

 lations are the schemes of France, England, 

 and the United States, to gain possession of 



California ; and particular attention is given 

 to the plans and efforts of the United States 

 and its agents, as shown in original corre- 

 spondence, now given to the public for the 

 first time ; and the treatment of American 

 immigrants down to 1845 is set forth. 



The fifth volume comprises from 1846 

 to 1848 the exciting period of the con- 

 quest of California by the United States, 

 which is treated in all its phases. The pol- 

 icy of our Government and the doings of 

 its agents are studied from documentary 

 sources not hitherto brought to light. 

 Hence the volume is likely to prove, as a 

 narrative, more interesting and readable 

 than any that have preceded it ; and it 

 can not fail to be important as a record, 

 because it is founded largely on original 

 testimony. Its contents embrace, first, the 

 acts of Fremont in the country, which are 

 set forth in an unfavorable light ; next, the 

 personal and sectienal controversies that 

 marked the last days of Mexican political 

 annals. A following chapter is devoted to 

 foreign relations, the policy of the United 

 States and other nations, and the efforts 

 of Colonel Larkin ; another chapter to the 

 causes of the settlers' revolt, wherein Fre- 

 mont is again handled with severity; and 

 four chapters to the detailed presentment 

 of the u Bear Flag " revolt ; after which be- 

 gins the story of the conquest proper as 

 part of the Mexican War. This having been 

 told, the political controversies of Stockton, 

 Kearney, and Fremont, next claim attention. 

 The stories of the Mormon Battalion, the 

 New York Volunteers, and the Artillery 

 Company, are given; also the annals of 

 immigration, including the tragic experi- 

 ences of the Donner party and the coming 

 of Sam Brannan's Mormon colony ; the 

 history of the ex-missions and of Indian af- 

 fairs, with the annals of trade, and other 

 incidents, going to complete the history. 

 The pioneer list is completed, and includes 

 in all some ten thousand names and bio- 

 graphical sketches. Our heading indicates 

 a change in the name of the publishing 

 house. A story is connected with the 

 change. The whole establishment was 

 burned down last April, with an inade- 

 quate insurance. Mr. H. H. Bancroft was 

 the principal proprietor, and lost very 

 heavily, not only through his share in the 



