TRAVELS IN THE CALIFORNIA S. 
345 
the civil wars of the Mexican Revolution, no vessels of any 
kind visited this coast, and both the Missions and private fami¬ 
lies were obliged to rely entirely on their own resources for 
supplies of every kind. And when the ships of Boston, after 
the wars had ceased, began to visit these shores again, for 
hides and tallow, such quantities of these articles had accu¬ 
mulated, that the single Mission of San Gabriel purchased 
several successive cargoes of cloths and groceries, at about one 
hundred thousand dollars each, and paid for them in hides 
and tallow. This Mission at that time possessed over one 
hundred thousand head of neat cattle, and great numbers of 
horses and sheep. The vineyards produced between two and 
three hundred barrels of brandy annually, and wine enough 
for the consumption of the Mission, and for the purposes of 
the unbounded hospitality which then pervaded those estab* 
lishments. 
“ The Indian population of the Mission at that period was 
three or four thousands. At present it is from one to two 
hundreds, and the flocks and herds are hardly sufficient to 
support them. The same remark will apply, with little vari¬ 
ation, to all the Missions of the Californias. They are mere 
skeletons of what they formerly were. San Josef is the only 
exception. This still has a population of about fourteen hun¬ 
dred souls, twenty-five thousands of black cattle, nearly the 
same number of sheep, and considerable bands of horses, 
mules, &c.” 
The Doctor further remarks: “ These Missions were the 
first establishments of the Spaniards on this coast. Those in 
Upper California were begun in 1776 by the Franciscan 
Missionaries, assisted by a few troops sent by the Viceroy of 
Mexico. After some progress had been made in taming and 
teaching the native savage population, mechanics and artisans 
were sent to assist in rearing those noble structures which are 
now seen on most of the Mission premises. Awhile after¬ 
wards two companies of young married men, with their fami¬ 
lies, were sent up from Senora, who performed the double 
