BDLL. 30] 



SAN CARLOS 



427 



the new buildings. The increase in the 

 number of neophytes was not so rapid as 

 at some of the missions. In 1790 there 

 were 385; in 1800, 715; in 1810, 1,297; 

 while the highest number, 1,328, was 

 reached in 1816. In other respects the 

 mission was very successful; it had more 

 cattle (10,013 head) and raised more 

 grain (9,400 bushels) in 1800 than any 

 other place in California. Vancouver 

 visited the mission in Nov. 1793, and 

 remarked on the quantity, variety, and 

 general excellence of its vegetables 

 and fruits. The buildings also were 

 excellent, though the new stone 

 church was not completed and dedi- 

 cated until 1809. During the first 

 decade of the 19th century the mission 

 continued the most prosperous in Cali- 

 fornia. In 1810 there were 21,221 cattle, 

 3,276 horses and mules, and 8,543 small 

 stock, with an average crop for the decade 

 of 6,400 bushels. Though losing some- 

 what by 1820, the mission still retained 

 first place. The earthquake of 1812, 

 which destroyed the church at San Juan 

 Capistrano, also severely injured the new 

 church of San Buenaventura, and it was 

 feared that the whole mission site was 

 settling into the sea, so that all the in- 

 habitants removed to higher ground for 

 three months. After 1820 the mission 

 declined rapidly, both in converts and in 

 material prosperity. In 1830 there were 

 726 Jieophytes, and 626 in 1834. Up to 

 that time the total number of natives 

 baptized was 3,805, of whom 1,909 were 

 children. Secularization does not seem 

 to have been carried out here until 1837. 

 Bancroft estimates that in 1840 there were 

 about 250 Indians in the community and 

 as many more scattered in the district. 

 In 1844 the mission was reported as 

 still fairly prosperous; in 1846 the lands 

 were sold for $12,000. The buildings re- 

 mained in the possession of the Catholic 

 Church, and since 1843 the mission has 

 been the regular parish church of Ven- 

 tura, which in garbled form was named 

 from the mission. In 1 893 the old church 

 was so renovated as to lose much of its 

 historic interest. The Indians among 

 whom San Buenaventura mission was 

 established belonged to the Chumashan 

 (q. v. ) linguistic family, which probably 

 furnished the major portion of the neo- 

 phytes, (a. b. l. ) 



San Carlos (Saint Charles). Thesecond 

 Franciscan mission founded in California. 

 Even before the foundingof San Diego an 

 expedition started n. under Portohl, in 

 1769, to explore the country and find the 

 port of Monterey, previously described by 

 Vizcaino (1602), where it was intended to 

 establish the next mission. They reached 

 the port, but did not recognize it, and 

 returned, after setting up a cross on the 



shore of the bay. The following spring 

 two expeditions started, one by land and 

 one by sea. Both expeditions arrived 

 safely, and the port was this time recog- 

 nized beyond a doubt. The cross was 

 found still standing, but surrounded and 

 adorned with arrows, sticks, feathers, 

 fish, meat, and clams, placed there by 

 the natives, apparently as offerings. The 

 bells were hung and the Mission of San 

 Carlos Borromeo de Monterey was for- 

 mally founded June 3, 1770. Some huts 

 were built and a palisade erected, but for 

 several days no natives appeared. Father 

 Junipero Serra soon became dissatisfied 

 with the site of the mission, and in De- 

 cember, after the necessary buildings had 

 been constructed, it was removed to 

 Carmelo valley. The mission was hence- 

 forth known as San Carlos Borromeo del 

 Carmelo, sometimes in later days merely 

 as Carmelo. The old site became the pre- 

 sidio of Monterey. The native name of 

 the new site, according to Taylor (Cal. 

 Farmer, Feb. 22, 1860) was Eslenes. The 

 number of converts gradually increased, 

 165being reported in 1772, and 614 in 1783. 

 Serra made San Carlos his headquarters, 

 and here he died, Aug. 24, 1784, and was 

 buried in the mission church. In 1785 

 Lasuen was chosen pad re presidente, and 

 made his residence chiefly at San Carlos, 

 Palou having temporarily taken charge 

 after Serra's death. Monterey being an 

 important port, San Carlos was visited 

 by a number of travelers, including La 

 Perouse (1786) and Vancouver (1793). 

 The mission never had a large number of 

 neophytes; the highest, 927, was reached 

 in 1794, after which there was a gradual 

 decline. In livestock and agriculture 

 the mission was fairly successful, the 

 average crop for the decade ending 1800 

 being 3,700 bushels. Cattle and horses 

 in 1800 numbered 2,180, and sheep more 

 than 4,000. There was considerable in- 

 crease during the next decade, but before 

 1820 the decline had begun, though it was 

 less marked for a time than at many other 

 missions. In 1797 a new stone church, 

 the ruins of which are still to be seen, was 

 completed. The number of neophytes 

 was 758 in 1800, 513 in 1810, 381 in 1820, 

 and about 150 in 1834. There was but 

 little of the mission property left at the 

 time of secularization in the year last 

 named, while by 1840 the ruined build- 

 ings were all that remained. The mission 

 church was entirely neglected until about 

 1880, when it was restored and roofed, 

 and was rededicated in Aug. 1884. The 

 neophytes of San Carlos belonged chiefly 

 to the Costanoan and Esselenian lin- 

 guistic stocks. Representatives of most 

 of the Esselen villages were doubtless 

 included, as well as of the Rumsen, Kal- 

 indaruk, and Sakhone divisions of the 



