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Caligula. ] e nce of the adventurers, who pay the Indians and 

 **"" v - negroes employed as drivers so poorly, and treat them 

 so harshly, that the fishery is considered as almost 

 abandoned. The cordillera of Old California is inha- 

 bited by animals which resemble, both in their form 

 and their habits, the mouflon of Sardinia. Their 

 horns are curved in a spiral form ; and they leap, 

 like the ibex, with their head downward ; but are es- 

 sentially different from the wild goats, which are of 

 an ashy white, and peculiar to New California. 



" New California," says La Perouse, who visited 

 the country in 1786, " notwithstanding its fertility, 

 cannot as yet reckon a single settler ; some soldiers 

 married to Indian women, who dwell in forts, or who 

 are spread among the small detachments of troops in 

 the different missions, at this time constitute the 

 whole Spanish nation in this part of America. If it 

 were at a less distance from Europe, it would in no 

 respect yield to Virginia, which is opposite to it ; 

 but its proximity to Asia may indemnify it, and I 

 am of opinion, that good laws, and more especially 

 liberty of commerce, would speedily procure it some 

 settlers ; for the Spanish possessions are so extensive, 

 that it is impossible to imagine that, for a long time 

 to come, the population can become numerous in any 

 of its colonies. The great number of both sexes 

 who are in a state of celibacy, and have taken vows to 

 continue so, and the invariable policy of the Spanish 

 government to admit only one religion, and to em- 

 ploy the most violent means in support of it, will in- 

 cessantly oppose a new impediment to every increase." 

 See Verie^as' History of California ; Humboldt's 

 Political Essay on the Kingdom of New Spain, vol. ii. 

 p. 319 ; and La Perouse's Voyage, vol. ii. p. 194. (p) 



CALIGULA, CAIUS CESAR, the fourth of the 

 Roman emperors, was the son of Germanicus, the 

 adopted son of Tiberius. He was born on the 31st 

 day of August, in the year of Rome 765, and the 

 twelfth of our asra. Being brought up from his in- 

 fancy in the camp, his mother Agrippina, an able in- 

 triguing woman, wishing to make him popular, al- 

 ways dressed him in the habit of a common soldier, 

 or caligatus, so termed from wearing the caliga, or 

 military boot ; from which circumstance, Caius was 

 affectionately distinguished among the men by the 

 name of Caligula, or the little private. Soon after 

 the death of his lamented father, whom he had ac- 

 companied in the expedition to Syria, Caligula re- 

 turned home, and lived with his mother, who, in a 

 short time, incurring the suspicions of Tiberius, was 

 banished by the senate. He then removed to the 

 house of Li via Augusta, at whose funeral obsequies 

 he pronounced an oration, though yet but a stripling; 

 and having resided for some time with his grandmo- 

 ther Antonia, he was summoned, in the twentieth 

 year of his age, when he assumed the toga viriiis, to 

 attend his grandfather Tiberius to Capraea. 



Tiberius seems at first to have had a favourable 

 opinion of the talents of his grandson, as his princi- 

 pal motive in bringing him forward at this time, was 

 to counterbalance the influence of Sejanus, now an 

 object of jealousy to the tyrant. Caligula did eve- 

 ry thing in his power to recommend himself to the 

 emperor. Not a word escaped his lips respecting 

 the condemnation of his mother, and his two bro- 



thers ; his fierce feelings he so carefully suppressed in Caligula, 

 the presence of Tiberius, that no insult or provoca- v "" 

 tion could rouse him ; and he so effectually studied 

 and assumed the conduct, humours, language, and 

 even tone of voice of the emperor, that it was soon 

 remarked of him, that " never was there a better ser- 

 vant, nor a worse master." His natural disposition, 

 however, which was ferocious and base beyond con- 

 ception, occasionally broke out in spite of all his dis- 

 simulation. It was even then observed, that he ea- 

 gerly attended at all executions and tortures ; muf- 

 fled up in a long garment, he prowled through the 

 streets at night, and engaged in the lowest debauch- 

 eries ; whilst proficiency in dancing, fencing, singing, 

 and other accomplishments of the same nature, con- 

 stituted the sole object of his ambition. So sensible 

 was Tiberius himself of the depravity of his charac- 

 ter, that he often asserted, that Caius lived but to be 

 the destruction of him and all around him, and con- 

 fessed, that he was rearing a serpent for the Roman 

 people, and a second Phaeton for the world. 



About this period, Caligula was married to Junia 

 Claudilla, or Claudia, daughter of Marcus Silanus, a 

 most respectable senator ; but Junia soon afterwards 

 dying in childbed, he attached himself to Ennia, the 

 wife of Macro the pretorian prefect. This woman 

 he won over to his purposes, under a solemn promise 

 of marrying her on his accession ; an event which, 

 according to some, she and her husband materially 

 contributed to accelerate, having, by the directions of 

 Caligula, poisoned the emperor. The real intention 

 of Tiberius with regard to the succession is not well 

 ascertained. Well aware of the monstrous character 

 of Caligula, he seems to have wished his rejection ; 

 but the memory of Germanicus, and the popularity 

 of Caligula himself with the army, deterred him from, 

 any open attempt to exclude him. He therefore be- 

 queathed the empire conjointly to him and his bro- 

 ther Tiberius Gemellus, a young lad of considerable 

 promise. No sooner, however, was the breath out 

 of the emperor, than the senate, instigated by a blind, 

 hatred of the old tyrant, immediately cancelled the 

 will, and appointed Caligula their sole master. This 

 melancholy event took place A. D. 31. 



The real character of Caligula being hitherto but 

 little understood among the people, his accession was 

 hailed with universal joy. During even the funeral 

 procession of Tiberius, amid the victims, altars, gla- 

 ring torches, and other customary demonstrations of 

 woe, the giddy multitude, observing this hopeful fa- 

 vourite in his mourning attire, could not contain their 

 raptures, but greeted him with their blessings and ac- 

 clamations ; and, in three months after his accession, 

 160,000 victims are Sail to have been offered through- 

 out the empire in thanksgiving to the gods. On one 

 occasion when he was indisposed, the people of Rome 

 watched all night round the palace ; many of them, 

 in conformity to the superstition of the times, enga- 

 ged to fight in single combat for his recovery j and 

 some ieven devoted themselves to deach, by a label 

 which they displayed, as substitutes to Pluto for the 

 life of the emperor. 



The first acts of Caligula were by no means ill cal- 

 culated to encourage this universal attachment. Be- 

 sides shewing a proper regard for the ashes of his 



