HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA. 117 



stands upon a wide foundation of rock of considerable 

 elevation ; various portions of the adobS walls con 

 necting the crags having been pierced, so as to allow 

 artillery to be trained through the embrasures, whilst, 

 in other parts, there are numerous loop-holes for 

 musketry. There are some very awkward cavities 

 amongst these rocks, produced by digging for clay for 

 the adobe work. The fort is flat-roofed and para- 

 petted, having portholes for cannon; and below, in 

 the very centre of the building, occupying about a third 

 of its entire length, runs a thick wall, forming a cres 

 cent, well mounted with heavy guns. At the end of 

 this crescent, between it and the front wall, is the 

 entrance to the fort a mere aperture, barely wide 

 enough to allow of one man's passing in. 



These defences proved to be of great advantage to 

 a small party of Americans that landed at San Jose*, 

 during the war between the United States and Mexico, 

 and were compelled to take shelter in the old quartel, 

 or barracks. There they were surrounded by the 

 Californians, and stood a siege of several weeks', 

 Buffering incredible hardships. The population of San 

 Jose" numbers about three thousand, the majority being 

 semi-Indians, or the pure descendants of the Mexicans. 

 There is little promise of any considerable increase in 

 the size of the town, owing to the natural disadvan 

 tages of situation. 



The other towns of Lower California are San 

 Antonio, in the neighborhood of an extensive silver 

 mine, which has been worked for a long time with 

 considerable profit ; Loreto, on the gulf coast, about 

 two hundred miles north of La Paz ; San Domingo 

 and Todos Santos, on the Pacific coast. The latter 

 town is situated on the bay of the same name, and is 



