108 



HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA. 



are annually manufactured. The wine is of various 

 kinds ; some of it being equal to the best produced in 

 Europe.* 



The inhabitants of the City of the Angels, being 

 generally of the wealthy class of Californians, have 

 always strongly adhered to the institutions of Mexico. 

 They offered the most strenuous resistance to the 

 American forces at the time of the conquest of Cali 

 fornia, but were vanquished in two battles, and the 

 city taken. All the customs and amusements peculiar 

 to the Spaniards and the countries which they colo 

 nized, are here in full vogue. Music, dancing, sing 

 ing, slaughtering cattle, or gambling, are the usual 

 pastimes of the inhabitants. Yet, with these trifling 

 occupations, attachment to the Roman Catholic church 

 and a careful observance of its ceremonies, is charac 

 teristic of all. Upon the tolling of the bell, gaming, 

 swearing, dancing every thing is stopped while the 

 prescribed prayer is muttered, and then all go on as 

 before. 



Though Los Angeles did not experience any increase 

 of population consequent upon the flood of emigration 

 to California, its delightful climate and its fertile soil 

 are gradually procuring it such consideration as will 

 doubtless lead to the filling up of the surrounding 

 country. 



San Diego is the most southern town of Upper 

 California. It is situated on the coast, three miles 

 north of the line separating Upper and Lower Califor 

 nia. The harbor is inferior only to that of San Fran 

 cisco. It is perfectly sheltered by land from the gales 

 at all seasons of the year. Vessels can lie within a 

 cable's length of the beach, there being no surf run 

 ning upon it. The town is situated about three miles 



