HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA. 23 



The missions were under the control of the Francis- 

 cans, who, unlike the Jesuits* took little care to exert 

 themselves in procui'ing information concerning the 

 country in which they were established. 

 • Various expeditions for exploring the coast of Upper 

 California above Cape Mendocino, were made by the 

 Spaniards. One of these proceeded as far north as 

 the latitude of 41 degrees, and some men were landed 

 on the shores of a small bay, just heyond Cape Men- 

 docino, and gave the harbor the name of Port Trinidad. 

 The small river which flows into the Pacific near the 

 place where they landed was called Pigeon River, from 

 the great number of those birds in the neighborhood 

 of it. The Indians appeared to be a peaceable and 

 industrious race, and conducted themselves towards 

 the Spaniards in the most inoffensive manner. In 

 the sam« year, 1775, Bodega, a Spanish commander, 

 roturning from a voyage extended as far north as the 

 58th degree of latitude, discovered a small bay which 

 had not previously been described, and he aocordingly 

 gave it his own name, which it stili retains. This Bay 

 of Bodega is si4;uated a littl-e north of the 38th degree 

 of latitude. 



Few events worth recording occurred in California, 

 during the whole period of fifty years, from the first 

 establishment of the Spaniards on the western coast till 

 the termination of the 5lexican war of independcnce. 

 An attempt of the Russians to form a settlement on the 

 shores of the Bay of Bodego, in 1815, was met with a 

 remonstrance from the governor of California. The 

 remonstrance of the governor was disregarded, and 

 his commands to ((uit the place disobeyed. The Rus- 

 sian agent, Kushof, denied the right of the Spaniards 

 to the territory, and the governor being unable to 



J 



