A STUDY OF WATER RIGHTS ON THE LOS ANGELES RIVER. CALIFORNIA. 



By Edward il. Boggs, C. E. 

 Consulting Engineer. 



DISCOVERY AND COLONIZATION. 



Nearly four centuries ago, when the adventurous explorers of the unknown 

 Pacific Ocean, following the shore of California, touched at various points, they found 

 the land inhabited by savages. More than two hundred years later, when the Spanish 

 missionaries, advancing along the coast, established the outpost of European 

 civilization in California, they found the same race of people living in the same 

 barbarous condition. Unlike the native races which dwelt in parts of New Mexico 

 and Arizona, the Indian tribes of this region possessed no knowledge of the art 

 of irrigation. Without irrigation agriculture was impracticable. Consequently 

 progress toward civilization was impossible, and the inhabitants remained in hopeless 

 barbarism. 



The usual Spanish method of colonization was followed in the settlement of 

 California. This plan, which had been successful in Mexico and Lower California, 

 embraced three classes of communities — missions, presidios, and pueblos^ 



The first was due to the zealous efforts of the Spanish missionaries for the 

 propagation of the Christain faith among savage inhabitants of the region. Beginning 

 at San Diego, in 1769, a chain of missions extending to San Fi-ancisco was founded. 

 This line comprised eleven establishments, spaced some 15 to 25 leagues apart, and 

 usually situated on or near the coast. A second line pai-allel to the first, but at a 

 convenient distance farther inland, was planned, and some of these missions were 

 built at a later period. The missionaries undertook to minister to the temporal needs 

 as well as the spiritual welfare of their converts. They clothed and fed them, taught 

 them how to labor intelligently on the farms, to build comfortable dwellings, and 

 introduced among them various kinds of domestic animals. Under their direction 

 was begun the pi-actice of irrigation, destined in future generations to become the 

 most potent factor in the permanent development of California. 



Each mission was provided with a small guard of soldiers for protection against 

 possible uprisings of the natives. To serve as supports or rallying points in times of 

 great danger from this source, and also as means of defense against attacks from 

 jealous foreign nations, four presidios or military posts were interspersed along the 

 line of missions. Garrisons were long maintained at these posts, and there were 

 located the seats of government of the province, which for many years was of a 

 military form. 



Progress in the new province wa^ necessarily slow; all things seemed to conspire 



327 



