rived on the 11th of April, and the San Carlos, which reached San Diego twenty days later. The Senor San Jose not having been heard from it was presumed that it was wrecked. On the arrival of the second section with Father Junipero a salute was fired to commemorate the union of all the parties, and the beginning of work of settlement, conversion, and civilization on the soil of Upper California. July 1, 1769, marks the era of this state. On the 16th, Father Junipero founded the Mission of San Diego at the port of that name." It will be convenient to show the dates of the founding of the missions of California in the following order: San Diego, in San Diego county, founded under Carlos III., July 16, 1769. 1771. San Luis Rey, San Diego county, Carlos IV., June 13, 1798. San Juan Capistrano, Orange county, Carlos III., November 1, 1776. San Buenaventura, Ventura county, Carlos III., March 31, 1782. San Luis Obispo, San Luis Obispo county, Carlos III., September 1, 1772. La Soledad, Monterey county, Carlos IV., October 9, 1791. El Carmel, or San Carlos de Monterey, Monterey county, Carlos III., June 3, 1770. San Juan Bautista, Monterey county, Carlos IV., June 24, 1797. Santa Clara, Santa Clara county, Carlos III., January 18, 1777. San Jose, Alameda county, Carlos IV., June 11, 1797. Dolores, or San Francisco de Asis, San Francisco county, Carlos III., October 9, 1776. San Rafael Arcangel, Marin county, Fernando VII., December 18, 1817. San Francisco Solano, Sonoma county, Fernando VII., August 25, 1823. The growth of the missions was very fast. By the year 1769 there were nine in active operation within the limits of the southern district, and it is estimated that there were at least 3,000 native converts by the beginning of 1780. In the year 1800 the missionary property was worth about one million pesos. There are no trustworthy statistics as to the number of Indians that existed in the country at any one period of the early days, for the hunting and migratory habits of the native red man precluded the possibility of a count or a reliable estimate. Alexander Von Humboldt estimated that in 1802 the number of white men, mestizoes (one of mixed Spanish and Indian blood), and mulattoes living in the presidios or in the service of the monks was but thirteen hundred. These were classified as the civilized or pacified people of the country, in contradistinction to the wild natives, who were regarded as beasts. By Humboldt's estimate there were 13,668 Indians connected with the missions in 1801. It seems odd to read that the early fathers did all in their power to restrict the white population. By their advice soldiers were not allowed to marry without the consent of the Spanish sovereign, and the priests advised against the giving of such consent. It is said that they preferred the docile Indians to the uncertain tempered whites. A number of colonists came from various parts of Spain, however, but they were obliged to get their land from the fathers. Tracts some distance from the missions were about all that could be obtained. In all the struggles and growth of the missions there was really but one disaster of any consequence-the destruction of the San Diego mission by fire by warring Indians, in 1775. This loss was repaired without serious delay and the growth of the missions continued without much interruption. DISCOVERY OF SAN FRANCISCO BAY. Hittell, Soule, and others have investigated the old evidences, and have shown that the beautiful Bay of San Francisco was discovered by a squad of Spanish soldiers, on November 2, 1769. Cabrillo, Drake, and all other navigators had missed it, but a land party in search of Monterey proceeded northward some distance east of the coast until the beautiful spectacle of an arm of the sea greeted their vision as they stood at an elevation in the foothills. The discovering party consisted of Governor Portala, Captain Rivera y Moncado, Lieutenant Fages, Engineer Costanso, Fathers Crespi and Gomez, Sergeant Ortega, and thirty-four soldiers, accompanied by muleteers and tame Indians from Lower California—sixty-four persons in the entire company. On October 17 they discovered and named the San Lorenzo river and the city of Santa Cruz. On November 2, 1769, some soldiers of the party were granted permission to wander from camp and hunt deer. Ascending a number of eastern hills-doubless in what is now Alameda county-they beheld the thrilling spectacle of an arm of the sea running inland as far as they could see. It was as beautiful as the Bay of Naples, and its tides pulsed through the Golden Gate before their entranced vision. Father Crespi's journal contains an account of the soldiers' adventures, and this is no doubt the first mention of the Bay of San Francisco to be found in the annals of Spanish adventure. Hittell says it is remarkable, considering the many voyages that had been made in its vicinity, and these by bold explorers, that the Golden Gate and the Bay of San Francisco remained so long undiscovered; and it is a still more remarkable fact that the importance of the discovery was so long unappreciated. Not until the coming of Americans was the value of the discovery made known to the world. It was not until the advent of Yankees that the advantages of the spot as the site of a great city were adequately recognized. The mission at Dolores, on the bank of a lagoon, was consecrated by the building of an altar and the celebration of the first mass, June 29, 1776. The formal founding of the mission, however, was not until October 9. The mission of Santa Clara was founded on January 12, 1777, three months after that of San Francisco. On November 29, 1777, the town of San Jose, or El Pueblo de San Jose, was founded. In the spring of that year Governor Felipe de Neve had noticed the beauty of the country surrounding the Santa Clara mission, and it was he that selected the site of San Jose as an eligible one for the pueblo, or village. Inducements were offered to people to go from the presidio of San Francisco, and each person was supplied with oxen, cows, horses, sheep, and goats. Sixty-eight pioneers thus founded the pueblo or town of San Jose. It was the first authorized settlement in the state and the very first town to be created and ruled under civil government alone. From the beginning settlers had all the rights and immunities belonging to the inhabitants of provincial pueblos, under the Spanish laws. |