HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA. 



109 



from the beach, and is about the same size as Santa 

 Barbara. It is a place of far greater facilities and 

 promise, however, than the last mentioned town. San 

 Diego has always been the most important depot for 

 hides, upon the coast ; and there is no doubt that an 

 extensive inland trade will be carried on between it 

 and the towns in the interior, as the region of the 

 Colorado and the Gila becomes settled. Since the 

 conquest of Upper California and the discovery of the 

 gold, the progress of the town has been rapid. From 

 being an inconsiderable settlement sustained princi 

 pally by a mission, which had early been established 

 there, it has become a town of great commercial 

 promise. The climate being mild and pleasant, and 

 the surrounding country abounding in game and 

 adapted for grazing, thus making provisions abundant, 

 San Diego is a very desirable place of residence. 



The town of San Josd is situated in a fertile valley,, 

 near the most southern extremity of the Bay of San 

 Francisco. On the south of the town runs a small 

 stream, and the place is surrounded by plains, afford 

 ing fine pasturage. Being situated on the direct 

 route from the southern ports to the gold mines, San 

 Jose' received a considerable stimulus from their dis 

 covery. A profitable trade was soon established, and 

 the town improved very rapidly. It is now a town of 

 about four thousand inhabitants, and the increase still 

 continues rapid. In a greater degree than any of tho 

 older towns of California, it has all the evidence of a 

 thriving and progressive place. The greater part of 

 the buildings are constructed in a style which shows 

 the inroads of the taste of the people from the Atlantic 

 States. A number of Mormons settled here at an 

 early period, and built a great many neat wooden 

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