SPANISH SETTLEMENTS ON THE PACIFIC COAST 

 day; certainly when the missions were, at length, 

 discontinued the emancipated Indians in great part 

 rapidly passed away. The spirit of the days of 

 Serra, first father-president of the missions, seems 

 19 have waned as the years wore on, for the mis- 

 sionaries drove a thriving trade with foreign ships, 

 which was against the law. In this they were not 

 alone, but were the most successful, for theirs were 

 the largest flocks and herds, and tallow and hides 

 the chief products sought by foreign traders. But 

 let it be said that they were distinctly a part of the 

 delightful life in California, for none were more hos- 

 pitable than the mission fathers of the Camino Real. 



If they failed to do the impossible, to civilize the 

 Indians in the time available, they did make Chris- 

 tians of them, and have left an impress upon Cali- 

 fornia art, literature, and sentiment. But in some 

 respects their greatest service was that they helped 

 to hold the land for Spain. 



Such was California under Spain, beside which 

 Acadia and Utopia were unattractive, a dream life 

 for over half a century. But, like dreams, it had to 

 have its awakening, and, almost as evanescent as 

 they, has disappeared, save only for scattered 

 records and the mission ruins. With the independ- 

 ence of Mexico came freedom of trade, increase in 

 the number of ranches, and entry of foreigners, 

 notably the Americans. It was then a brief race to 

 the discovery of gold. That came in 1848, and the 

 scene changed as if touched by a magic wand. By 

 that time America was ready. Today, as she looks 

 forth upon the Pacific from California, Oregon, 

 Washington, and Alaska, she is still more ready. 

 If the world's future problems are to lie around the 

 Pacific, and if the United States is to play a leading 

 part in them, we may well look back in gratitude to 

 Spanish California, which gave us the chance. 



For the reader who would like to get a general 

 survey of early California history, in a fairly read- 

 able book of one volume, the works of Richman, 

 McGroarty, Norton, and Mrs. Gertrude Atherton may 

 be mentioned, all recent publications. The older 

 but more voluminous historians, Greenhow, Hittell, 

 and Bancroft, still rank, however, as the best, al- 

 though it is also true, as often stated, that the his- 

 tory of California "is yet to be written." But those 

 who may read the narratives of eye witnesses, as for 

 example in the works of Richard Henry Dana, 

 Alfred Robinson, Walter Colton, Alexander Forbes, 

 and William Heath Davis, will get more of the at- 

 mosphere of early California than can possibly be 

 conveyed by any writings of a later day. 



14 



