204 ELDORADO 



the Pacific Coast. However interesting and instructive 

 the story of the founding of the CaHfornia Missions 

 might be, if pursued in detail, I can only briefly re- 

 fer to their establishment and the political and religious 

 events that transpired on this coast during the first 

 half of the nineteenth century. How prophetic is the 

 following, by one of the early visitors to these shores, 

 and how remarkably has it been fulfilled. "It has been 

 hitherto the fate of these regions, like that of modest 

 merit or humble virtue, to remain unnoticed, but pos- 

 terity will do them justice; towns and cities will here- 

 after flourish where all is now desert. The waters 

 over which scarcely a solitary boat is seen to glide will 

 reflect the flags of all nations, and a happy, prosperous 

 people, receiving with thanks fulness what prodigal na- 

 ture bestows for their use, will disperse her treasures 

 over every part of the world." 



The first establishment of the Spaniards in Califor- 

 nia was made by the Jesuits in November, 1697. The 

 settlement was called Loreto, and founded on the east- 

 ern side of the peninsula of Lower California, about 

 two hundred miles from the Pacific. On entering 

 California the Jesuits encountered the some obstacles 

 which had before prevented a settlement of the coun- 

 try. Th natives continued hostile and killed several 

 of the priests, but within sixty years after their en- 

 trance into California, they had established sixteen 

 missions, extending along the eastern side of the 

 peninsula from Cape San Lucas to the head of the 

 Gulf. Each of these establishments consisted of a 

 church, a fort, garrisoned bv a few soldiers, some 



