158 CALIFORNIA. 



fine season, being nothing more than roadsteads, affording little safely 

 and but few supplies to vessels. 



Among these bays are that of Monterey, the capital of Upper Cali- 

 fornia, and that of Santa Barbara and San Pedro. The two last are 

 partly protected from the swell of the Pacific Ocean by the islands 

 that cover them. They are, however, but seldom used, there being 

 comparatively little trade upon all this coast; for the hides and tallow 

 which formerly abounded and made the business profitable for vessels, 

 are no longer to be procured. The destruction of the missions, and 

 the onerous laws, duties, and prohibitions, have nearly destroyed the 

 little traffic that once existed, and it is now all transferred to the bay 

 of San Francisco. There a few hulks may be seen lying, furnished 

 with every needful article: these keep up an illicit intercourse by the 

 connivance of the officers of the customs, by whose cupidity the revenue 

 laws are openly infringed, and what of right belongs to the government, 

 goes to enrich the governor and his officers. 



The principal articles imported, are cotton cloths, velvet, silks, 

 brandies, wines, teas, &c. ; in return for which they receive hides and 

 tallow, skins, wheat, and salmon. The attention of the inhabitants has 

 been principally directed to the raising of cattle, and the greater part 

 of the wealth of California may be considered as consisting of live-stock. 

 The exportations, on the average of years, are about one hundred and 

 fifty thousand hides, and two hundred thousand arrobas of tallow. The 

 standard price for the former is two dollars, while the latter is worth 

 one dollar and fifty cents the arroba. A few beaver-skins are obtained, 

 which do not exceed two thousand, and are valued at two dollars 

 apiece. From four to five hundred sea-otter skins are brought in 

 by the American hunters, which are valued at thirty dollars each. 

 Wheat has been exported to the Russian posts, to the amount of 

 twelve thousand bushels, of which the average price is about fifty 

 cents a bushel. Of late, however, it has risen to two dollars and 

 fifty cents, in consequence of the great drought that has prevailed. 

 Among the exports may be also enumerated about three thousand elk 

 and deer skins, which are valued at from fifty cents to a dollar each. 

 The whole merchantable products may be estimated at less than a 

 million of dollars. 



The yield of wheat is remarkable, and in some places, where the 

 land is well situated, very large returns are received. Mr. Spears, of 

 Yerba Buena, informed me that he had delivered to an active Ameri- 

 can farmer thirty bushels of wheat for seed, at a time when it was 

 difficult to procure it, under an agreement that he should have the 



