42 re:marks and opinions. 



words on the Spanish settlements on this coast. 

 With an avaricious thirst for possession, Spain ex- 

 tends her territory here, merely because she envies 

 others the room. She maintains her Presidios at a 

 great expence, and tries, by the prohibition of all 

 trade, to force ready money back to its source. 

 But a little liberty would make California the 

 granary and market of the northern coasts of these 

 seas, and the general resort of the ships which 

 navigate them. Corn, oxen, salt, (at St. Quentin, 

 Old California,) wine, the produce of which would 

 increase the demand, give it in many respects a 

 superiority over the Sandwich islands, though their 

 situation, on the route between China and the 

 north-west coast, is more advantageous. But in- 

 dustry and navigation, the offspring of liberty, 

 would speedily transfer a profitable share in this 

 trade to California, which possesses the sea-otters 

 in greater abundance than all the other coasts.* 



Yet California lies without industry, trade, 

 and navigation, desert and unpeopled, t It has 

 remained neglected, without any importations 

 from Mexico, during the six or seven years of the 

 war between Spain and its colonies. The ship 

 from St. Bias, which formerly brought supplies to 



* The Californian sea-oUer skin is indeed inferior to the 

 northern, but the difference is not very great. 



f As a proof, it may be mentioned, that the cvvt. of flour 

 -costs, in the missions of this country, six piasters ; while at 

 JSan Bias it costs forty, and at Acapuico Hft}-. 



