SOCIETY. 379 



es, and 13 clergymen; the Congregationalists have 600 com- 

 municants, 11 churches, and 12 preachers; the Cumberland 

 Presbyterians have 800 communicants and 28 preachers; the 

 Baptists have 1,000 communicants, 42 churches, and 30 

 preachers ; the Episcopalians have 600 communicants, 20 

 churches, and 18 clergymen; the Unitarians have 100 com- 

 municants, with one church, and one preacher. The total 

 number of communicants, as mentioned in this list, including 

 women, who are a majority, is less than 10,000 ; but there are 

 many persons staying temporarily in the state, and claiming 

 membership in congregations in the Eastern states. 



Tiie Catholic priests claim to have 80,000 communicants in 

 their church ; and they have 70 churches, and 75 priests. 

 The Catholics are more attentive to the forms of their faith 

 than are the Protestants. 



There are many Mormons in California, but they are scat- 

 tered about, and have no meetings or church organization. 

 Almost the entire population of the town of San Bernardino 

 was once made up of them, but they abandoned the place, at 

 the order of Brigham Young, and went to Salt Lake. Such 

 Mormons as there may be in the state, are generally consid- 

 ered to be industrious and sfood citizens. 



There are 10,000 Jews in the state, and they have three 

 svnao-oo-ues, and two rabbles. The Jews of California are di- 

 vided into two main class -s, the German Jews and the Polish 

 Jews ; and in San Francisco each class has its own synagogue, 

 cemetery, and benevolent society. The German Jews are in- 

 fected by the progressive spirit of the age, and have adopted 

 a reformed ritual ; whereas the Polish Jews adhere to the old 

 forms and ceremonies. The Chinamen are, with the exception 

 of three or four score Christians, all Buddhists. Buddhism, 

 which has been called "the Christianity of the east," and in its 

 purer forms is not unworthy of the name, is with them a gross 

 superstition, accompanied by idol worship and meaningless 

 ceremonies, with no accompanying conception of high spiritual 

 truths. The Chi :amen have several places of worship in Cali- 



