HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA. 117 



Btands 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', 

 suffering 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 



