PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 37 



the grazing and rearing of cattle ; for in portioning 

 out the ground, care has been taken to avoid that 

 which is barren. The most productive farms are held 

 by the missions of San Jose, Santa Clara, San Juan, 

 and Santa Cruz. That of San Francisco appears to 

 be badly situated, in consequence of the cold fogs from 

 the sea, which approach the mission through several 

 deep valleys, and turn all the vegetation brown that is 

 exposed to them, as is the case in Shetland with the 

 tops of every tree that rises above the walls. Still, 

 with care, more might be grown in this mission than 

 it is at present made to produce. Santa Cruz is rich 

 in supplies, probably on account of the greater demand 

 by merchant vessels, whalers in particular, who not 

 unfrequently touch there the last thing on leaving the 

 coast, and take on board what vegetables they require ; 

 the quantity of which is so considerable, that it not 

 unfrequently happens that the missions are for a time 

 completely drained. On this account it is advisable, 

 on arriving at any of the ports, to take an early oppor- 

 tunity of ordering every thing that may be required. 



A quantity of grain, such as wheat and Indian corn, 

 is annually raised in all the missions, except San 

 Francisco, which, notwithstanding it has a farm at 

 Burri Burri, is sometimes obliged to have recourse to 

 the other establishments. Barley and oats are said to 

 be scarcely worth the cultivation, but beans, pease, 

 and other leguminous vegetables are in abundance, 

 and fruit is plentiful. The land requires no manure at 

 present, and yields on an average twenty for one. San 

 Jose reaps about 3,000 fanegas * of wheat annually. 



Hides and tallow constitute the principal riches of the 



* A fanega is one hundred pounds weight. 



