20 HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA. 



CHAPTER III. 



FROM THE FIRST SETTLEMENT TO THE REVOLUTION 



IN MEXICO. 



The first establisliment of the Spaniards in Califor- 

 nia, was made bj the Jesuits, in November, 1697. 

 The settlement was called Loreto, and founded on 

 the eastern side of the peninsida, about two hundred 

 miles from the Pacific. On entering California, the 

 Jesuits encountered the same obstacles which had 

 before prevented a settlement of the country. The 

 land was so sterile, that it scarcely yielded sustenance 

 to the most industrious tiller, and as the settlements 

 were all located near the sea, fishing was the resource 

 of the settlers to make up the deficiency of food. The 

 natives continued hostile, and killed several of the 

 Jesuit fathers. By perseverance and kindness, the 

 Jesuits overcame all the obstacles with which they met, 

 and within sixty years after their entrance into Cahfor- 

 nia, 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 

 by a few soldiers, and some stores and dwelling-houses, 

 all under the control of the resident Jesuit father. 

 Each of the missions formed the centre of a district 

 containing several villages of converted Indians. None 

 of the Jesuits visited the western coast of the peninsula 

 except on one occasion, in 1716. 



Great exertions were made by the settlers to acquire 



