PACIFIC AND BEERING’S STRAIT. 
371 
grown in this mission than it is at present made to produce. Santa Cruz CHAP, 
is rich in supplies, probably on account of the greater demand by mer- 
chant vessels, whalers in particular, who not unfrequently touch there Nov. 
the last thing on leaving the coast, and take on board what vegetables 
they require ; the quantity of which is so considerable, that it not un- 
frequently happens that the missions are for a time completely drained. 
On this account it is advisable, on arriving at any of the ports, to take 
an early opportunity of ordering every thing that may be required. 
A quantity of grain, such as wheat and Indian corn, is annually 
raised in all the missions, except San Francisco, which, notwithstanding 
it has a farm at Burri Burri, is sometimes obliged to have recourse 
to the other establishments. Barley and oats are said to be scarcely 
worth the cultivation, but beans, pease, and other leguminous vegetables 
are in abundance, and fruit is plentiful. The land requires no manure 
at present, and yields on an average twenty for one. S4n Jose reaps 
about .3000 fanegas* of wheat annually. 
Hides and tallow constitute the principal riches of the missions 
and the staple commodity of the commerce of the country ; a profitable 
revenue might also be derived from grain were the demand for it on the 
coast such as to encourage them to cultivate a larger quantity than is 
required by the Indians attached to the missions. S4n Jose, which 
possesses 15,000 head of cattle, cures about 2000 hides annually, and 
as many b6tas of tallow, which are either disposed of by contract to 
a mercantile establishment at Monterey, or to vessels in the harbour. 
The price of these hides may be judged by their finding a ready 
market on the Lima coast. Though there are a great many sheep in 
the country, as may be seen by the mission, S4n Jos6 alone possessing 
3000, yet there is no export of wool, in consequence of the consumption 
of that article in the manufacture of cloth for the missions. 
Husbandry is still in a very backward state, and it is fortunate 
that the soil is so fertile, and that there are abundance of labourers to 
perform the work, or I verily believe the people would be contented 
to live upon acorns. Their ploughs appear to have descended from 
* A fanega is one hundred pounds weight 
3 B 2 
