CALIFORNIA. 175 



of the number of the whites, or gente de razon. These have been 

 usually estimated at five thousand; but, from the best information, I 

 could not satisfy myself that they number more than three thousand 

 souls. In this estimate is not included those of mixed blood, who may 

 amount to two thousand more; so that in the whole of Upper California, 

 at the date of our visit, the entire population was about fifteen thousand 

 souls; and this estimate cannot be far from the truth. 



The health and robustness of the white inhabitants seem remark- 

 able, and must be attributed to the fine climate, as well as to their 

 simple diet. This consists of beef roasted upon the coals, a few vege- 

 tables, and the tortilla, which is a thin cake, made of corn-meal, and 

 baked upon a sheet of iron. Throughout the country, both with the 

 rich and poor, this is the general fare; but some few luxuries have 

 been lately introduced, among which are rice and tea. The latter is 

 used so sparingly, that the discoloration of the water is scarcely per- 

 ceptible. At the missions they live more after the Spanish fashion. 

 The children are, for the most part, left to take care of themselves, and 

 run about naked and dirty. They are generally robust, and their 

 relative number seems to be very great ; thus, it is by no means un- 

 common to see families of fourteen or fifteen children; and an instance 

 was mentioned to me of a woman near Yerba Buena, who had had 

 twenty-six. A large number die from accidental falls from horses, 

 with which from their earliest childhood they are accustomed to be 

 engaged. They early become expert and fearless riders, and this skill 

 is not confined altogether to the male sex ; the women are almost 

 equally expert. Families with numerous members are seldom met 

 with who have not had to mourn the loss of several of their number 

 from casualties of this sort. 



Although the Californians are comparatively few in number, yet 

 they have a distinctive character. Descended from the old Spaniards, 

 they are unfortunately found to have all their vices, without a proper 

 share of their virtues; they are exceedingly fond of gambling, which is 

 equally in favour with the male and female portion of the community. 

 Their games consist in cards, dice, &c. 



Their amusements are cock-fighting, bull and bear-baiting, and 

 dancing ; these are the predominant occupations of their lives, always 

 accompanied with excessive drinking. Parties of amusement, to which 

 the surrounding population is invited, are frequent; these generally last 

 for three days, and rarely break up without some quarrel. Weddings 

 are particularly liable to these disorders, and at each of the three last 

 that took place at and in the vicinity of Yerba Buena, previous to our 



