254 



a. of the squadron to Francisco de Ulloa, who, in the 

 ' course of two years, ascertained the coasts of the 

 gulf of California, then known by the name of the 

 Sea of Cortex., to near the mouth of the Rip Colo- 

 rado. But the first European settlement which was 

 attempted in this peninsula, was by order of Philip 

 II. of Spain, in 1596, who appointed Sebastian Vis- 

 caino to the command of an expedition fitted out for 

 that purpose. The Spaniards landed in the Bay de 

 la Paz, and, finding the Indians of a peaceable and 

 friendly disposition^ established a garrison within a 

 pallisade ; and erected a small church and some huts 

 with branches of trees, as the capital of their conquest. 

 The natives brought them fruit, fish, and also some 

 pearls ; but this friendly intercouse did not long con- 

 tinue, for they were irritated and provoked by the 

 excesses and outrages committed by the Spanish sol- 

 diers, who, both here and in other parts of the coast 

 which they went to visit, had drawn upon them the 

 hatred of the inhabitants. Being distressed for want 

 of provisions, and soon perceiving that the soil was 

 unable to produce sufficient food for such a number 

 of men, General Viscaino determined to abandon the 

 conquest, without leaving any settlers in the country, 

 and returned to New Spain at the end of the same 

 year. About six years after, Viscaino was again ap- 

 pointed to explore the north-west coast of Califor- 

 nia, in order, if possible, to discover some convenient 

 harbour that might afford an asylum to the galleons 

 on their return from Manilla. In this expedition, 

 which was attended with much danger and distress, 

 he fell in with a very commodious and spacious har- 

 bour in 32 degrees of north latitude, which he called 

 San Diego ; and also another in 36 40', which he 

 named Monterey, and which has since become the 

 principal settlement of the Spaniards in this country. 

 He describes the country as covered with trees, the 

 climate mild, the soil fruitful and well peopled, and 

 the natives kind and tractable. From that time Ca- 

 lifornia was frequently visited by private adventurers, 

 for the sake of the pearls which were found upon its 

 coast, which they either fished, or purchased from 

 the Indians ; and it is to the rapacity of these persons, 

 \and the many acts of cruelty and injustice which they 

 committed against this people, that we are in a great 

 measure to attribute the failure of the many expedi- 

 tions which were afterwards undertaken for the re- 

 duction and colonizing of this country. Spain, being 

 at last tired of making such fruitless attempts, and 

 irritated at the loss and expense which had been oc- 

 casioned by these expeditions, had entirely renounced 

 the conquest of California, when the Jesuits, in 1697, 

 requested permission to undertake the conversion of 

 its inhabitants. Father Salva Tierra entered upon 

 this enterprize with only six soldiers and three In- 

 dians ; and having landed in the bay of San Diony- 

 sio, on the 19th of October, founded the presidio of 

 Loretto, which is now the principal place of all the 

 missions of Old California. They were at first re- 

 ceived with great joy and affection by the Indians of 

 the neighbouring rancherias, to whom they distribu- 

 ted a daily allowance of pozoli, or boiled maize, in 

 order to induce them to attend to the religious ex- 

 ercises and instructions of the holy father. But 

 what was given as a favour was soon claimed as a 



CALIFORNIA. 



right ; and the Californians, pleased with the maize, California, 

 demanded a larger allowance than usual, which be- v * 

 ing refused, they broke out into complaints, which 

 in a short time ended in open hostilities. They sur- 

 rounded the Spanish garrison, and threatened them 

 with destruction. They twice attempted to carry off 

 their cattle, and even stole the only horse belonging 

 to the mission. But, by the determined courage and 

 perseverance of the Spaniards, they were reduced to 

 submission, and treated with the same kindness and 

 attention. The father continued his instructions, 

 and the maize was served out as formerly. The in- 

 constancy and ingratitude of this people, however, 

 was such, that it was found impossible to bind them, 

 either by promises or affection ; and it was not with- 

 out much difficulty, and after submitting to many 

 hardships and deprivations, that they had the pros- 

 pect of rendering this colony a permanent establish- 

 ment. They had not only to struggle against the incle- 

 mencies of the climate, and the hostility of the inha- 

 bitants, but also against the calumnies and opposition 

 of their own countrymen. Succours had frequent- 

 ly been promised, but as often withheld ; and Father 

 Salva Tierra, saw himself, at one time, on the point 

 of abandoning for ever the conversion of the Califor- 

 nians, from the impossibility of procuring a sufficient 

 subsistence for the missionaries, and others employed 

 in the enterprise. Their zeal, however, at last sur- 

 mounted every opposition, and in a few years several 

 missions and presidios were founded throughout the 

 peninsula. Whatever were the motives by which 

 these men were actuated, whether by a love of power, 

 or a serious regard for the propagation and interest 

 of religion, we cannot deny them the merit of explo- 

 ring this neglected province, of civilizing its rude 

 benighted inhabitants, and of bringing many of them 

 to the knowledge of Christianity. . Though their la- 

 bours have not succeeded, either according to their 

 zeal or their expectations, yet the cause of the failure 

 did not lie with them, but with the nature and situation 

 of the country. The peninsula of California is bar- 

 ren and unwholesome, while the neighbouring pro- 

 vinces of Sonora and Cinaloa, on the eastern side of 

 the gulf, present to the Spaniards abundant mines 

 and a fertile soil, objects more precious in their eyes 

 than the precarious wealth arising from the fishery 

 of pearls, which is the only attraction of Old Cali- 

 fornia. It is owing to this circumstance, that both 

 the spiritual and temporal progress of these mis- 

 sions have been very slow. This country can: 

 boast of only one Spanish colony ; and " 4000 In- 

 dians," says La Perouse, " converted and collected 

 together in its fifteen parishes, are the sole fruit of 

 the long apostleship of the different religious orders 

 which have succeeded each other in this painful mi- 

 nistry." Loretto is the only presidency of Old Ca- 

 lifornia. Its garrison consists of 54 troopers, who- 

 furnish small detachments to its fifteen dependent 

 missions, which are San Vincente, San Domingo, El 

 Rosario, San Fernandez, San Francesco de Borgia, 

 San Gertrude, San Ignacio, La Guadelupe, Santa 

 Rosalia, La Conception, San Josef, San Francesco 

 Xavier, Loretto, San Josef de Cabo Lucar, and, 

 Todos los Santos. The population of this peninsula, 

 however, within the last forty years, has been rapiov 



