SAN FRANCISCO IN 1842 



absent. To those who are familiar at the end of the 

 century with the wealth and prosperity of San Francisco, 

 its palatial dwellings, warehouses, churches, libraries, 

 schools, and institutions of learning, its aspect sixty years 

 ago, under Spanish rule, is instructive and suggestive. 

 The harbor was described by Wilkes as one of the finest, 

 if not the very best harbor, in the world. The magnifi- 

 cent tributaries and their attractive valleys were appre- 

 ciated, and the capacity of the country for producing 

 wheat, grapes, and cattle was well understood. But 

 city, there was none. The store of the Hudson's Bay 

 Company, that of the American, Mr. Spears, a " saloon," 

 a poop-cabin of a ship occupied as a dwelling-house, a 

 blacksmith's shop, and a dilapidated adobe building on 

 the hill made up the settlement. 



Before the end of October all the parties engaged in 

 reconnoitring had reassembled in San Francisco, when 

 a brig was bought to take the place of the lost Peacock, 

 and named the Oregon. The squadron then sailed for 

 Honolulu for the purpose of renewing the supplies, not 

 the least important being clothing for those who lost so 

 much at the mouth of the Columbia. The stay in Hono- 

 lulu was for ten days only. The Porpoise and its new 

 consort the Oregon were directed to study the Japanese 

 gulf-stream and proceed through the China Sea to Singa- 

 pore. On the Vincennes, Wilkes proceeded to Manila, 

 intending to visit Strong's and Ascension Islands on the 

 way, a purpose which circumstances obliged him to aban- 

 don. He arrived at the capital of the Philippines Janu- 

 ary 12, 1842. 



The interest which is now felt in Manila by every 

 American gives flavor to the forgotten chapter in Wilkes's 

 fifth volume which sums up all the data that he could 

 there collect by his own observations, and by conversation 

 with the United States Vice-Consul, Josiah Moore, and 

 Mr. Sturges. Three interesting engravings, one of the 



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