times; as both China and Japan had larger fleets of vessels in those days than at present.

THE EARLY SETTLERS.

The advent of settlers, independent of the missions-the connecting links between the past and present civilization-furnishes material for an exceedingly romantic and interesting chapter of the early history of California.

Who would not like to know the nationality and name of the first adventurer whose eyes beheld the blue waters of San Francisco's noble bay, breaking over its sandy, crescent-shaped beach, now covered with long lines of stately structures-the seat of a commerce worldwide in extent; and of him who first, on some autumn eve, after the early rains had fallen, climbed the russet hills, and beheld the unequalled landscape that surrounds it, then so silent, now the center of so much activity? Was he some bold mariner cast away on the dreary coast, seeking food and shelter, or some wandering trapper from the western wilds, who had traversed the broad continent in search of peltries to barter for powder and lead? Unfortunately, there were no records kept of such "pathfinders," through whose enterprise and energy the world first heard of the natural wealth of California. It was they who spread abroad the stories about the beauty of scenery, fertility of soil, salubrity of climate, and abundance of game in this, then unknown country, which excited the curiosity of the bold frontiersmen of the west, and of the venturesome merchant of the north, which led to the settlement of the country by the Anglo-Saxon race.

At first, like the few plashing drops which precede the refreshing rain that falls in spring time, imparting vigor and beauty to the products of the earth, these wanderers appear on the scene. Received by the secluded missionaries as premonitions of a civilization opposed to that growing so rankly on the virgin soil, every means were used to keep their influence out of the mission folds; but, little by little, their numbers increased, until the few spattering drops became a shower, and the shower a deluge, which ultimately overwhelmed both missions and missionaries, and planted a new race, with more progressive institutions in their places.

How new the country seems, when we consider that there are men still living among us, hale and vigorous, who have stood face to face with those who first planted the standard of Christian civilization on its soil. Yet, how mature it is, when measured by its commerce, arts and manufactures, the order of its government, and reânement of its society.

To explain the causes which led the first citizens of the United States into the territory now forming the State of California, it is necessary to refer to the following events in the early history of the Pacific coast:

Vitus Bering, a Dane, was employed in the year 1728, by the Empress Catharine, of Russia, to explore the northwest coast of America and Asia, for the purpose of finding a connection between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, which was supposed to exist, but had not, at that time, been found. It was on this voyage that he discovered the straits which bear his name, and settled all doubts on that question. The skins of otters, sables, beavers, and other rare animals, which Bering collected on this coast during the voyage, and lay at the feet of the Empress on his return, were so valuable, and the abundance of the animals that produced them was represented to be so great, that the discovery excited the curiosity of the capitalists, navigators, and adventurers of Europe, and several nations established settlements on the Pacific Coast, for the purpose of collecting these valuable furs. The Russians selected the territory recently ceded by them to the United States. The Russian American Fur Company was organized in 1799, with power to hunt all over that territory. Sitka was founded in 1805, by this company. The Austrians and Danes were their neighbors for many years. The English soon followed. In 1784, a company was organized in London, called the King George's Sound Company, for the purpose of making a settlement on this coast, and trading for furs. Several ships belonging to that company arrived between 1780 and 1790. The English East India Company also sent several of their ships here between 1784 and 1790. About the year 1790, vessels from the United States began to make their appearance on the coast of the Pacific, in search of furs. As early as 1784, Thomas Jefferson, then acting as United States Minister to the Court of France, had become deeply interested in the subject, from reports of the country made by John Ledyard, a native of Connecticut, who had been on the coast with Captain Cook, the celebrated English navigator. Jefferson engaged this John Ledyard to make a journey through the Islands along Nootka Sound, for the purpose of obtaining accurate information of the country. The Russians, being made aware of Jefferson's object, had Ledyard arrested on the 24th of February, 1788, while making explorations on the borders of what is now Washington Territory.

On June 5th, 1791, the ship Columbia, from Boston, (Mass.), commanded by Captain Robert Gray, arrived on this coast, at a place called Clyoquot, near the entrance to the straits of Fuca, and traded

It

up and down the coast during the following spring and summer. was while on one of these trading excursions, to buy furs from the Indians, that Captain Gray, on the 7th of May, 1792, discovered the Columbia river, which he named after his ship, the first that ever sailed up its stream. The report of this discovery, and the valuable collection of furs Captain Gray brought from this country to Boston, created considerable excitement; and a number of expeditions were planned for making a settlement on this coast.

In 1810, the ship Albatross, from Boston, commanded by Captain Smith, arrived with a number of hunters and trappers, who landed and formed a settlement at a place called Oak Point, on the south bank of the Columbia river, about forty miles from its mouth, where they established a trading post, which was the first settlement of Americans on the Pacific Coast.

In 1810, the Pacific Fur Company was organized at New York under the leadership of John Jacob Astor; and in 1811, Astoria, Oregon, was founded by this Company, at the place where it stands at the present time. It was soon after captured by the British, who drove all the Americans out of the country. Many of these managed to find their way into California. One of the most successful of these pioneer California fur-traders, was Captain William Sturgis, who, in some half-dozen voyages, between Boston and the California coast, between 1800 and 1812, realized so large a fortune as to become one of the richest merchants in the city of Boston. He died at Boston, in 1864, aged seventy-five, and left property valued at three millions of dollars.

From 1813 until 1822, there were no Americans on the Pacific coast, except those connected with these trading posts, or deserters from vessels that visited them.

The following sketch of the "California trade" in those early days, will be interesting. From 1825 until 1834, the whole of this trade was in the hands of a few Boston merchants. A voyage to this coast and back, during that time, was an enterprise of very uncertain duration, generally occupying two or three years. The outward cargo,

which usually consisted of groceries and coarse cotton goods, had to be retailed to the missionaries and settlers, as there were no "jobhers" in those times, and neither newspapers, telegraphs, nor stages, through which to inform customers of the ship's arrival. The crew had to travel all over the country to convey the news, which occupied considerable time. It was this portion of their duties that caused so many of them to desert their ships. They saw so much of the

country, became so charmed with the freedom, ease, and plenty, that prevailed everywhere, that they preferred to remain on shore. Each of these vessels generally brought several young men as adventurers, who worked their passage out for the privilege of remaining. Many of the early settlers, whose children are now among the wealthiest citizens in the State, came to California in this manner. It was in one of these California hide-ships, the Alert, that R. H. Dana served his "two years before the mast," in 1835 and '36, in the book concerning which, he gives some interesting scraps of information of early California society.

The outward cargo being disposed of, the homeward one had to be procured. Sometimes, when the season had been too dry, or too wet for the lazy vacqueros to drive the cattle into the missions to kill, there were no hides or tallow to be had. On such occasions the vessel was obliged to remain till the next season, when a sufficient number of cattle would be slaughtered to pay for the goods purchased, as there was no "currency" used in the country, except hides and tallow.

It was rough travelling in California, in those days, there being no places for the traveller to obtain food or shelter, except at the missions. In 1822, there was neither bread, butter, fruit, nor vegetables, to be had at Monterey, the capital of the territory. In fact, there was not a hotel or public table in the whole country, when it came into the possession of the United States in 1846. San Diego, being the general depot for this trade, where the hides and tallow collected from all the other missions along the coast were stored until a vessel was ready to leave, it was necessary to make several trips up and down the coast before the cargo could be collected. As there was no lumber or barrels to be had, the tallow was enclosed in green hides, sewn up in packages of one hundred and fifty to seven hundred pounds in weight, according to the size of the hide.

A number of stragglers from the Hudson Bay, and other companies-men of all nationalities-had found their way into California. before 1812, and caused considerable trouble to the missionaries, by taking the best looking squaws for housekeepers.

It is known that several of the crew of Vancouver's ship deserted, while that celebrated navigator lay at anchor in the harbor of Monterey, in 1793. These men lived among the Indians for a number of years.

In 1803, the American ship Alexander, Captain John Brown, and the Aser, Captain Thomas Raben, entered the harbor of San Fran

cisco, and increased the number of settlers by deserters from their crews. Captain Brown, of the Alexander, it appears, had lived among the natives for several years before his arrival on that occasion, and had caused so much trouble to the missionaries and military authorities at San Diego, in 1803, by contraband trading, that he was denied permission to remain in the harbor, longer than was necessary to obtain a supply of wood and water. These were the first American

vessels that entered the Golden Gate, but not the first that had visited California. Captain Cleveland, on board the brig Delia Byrd, of Salem, (Mass.,) arrived at San Diego on the 17th of March, 1803.

In 1807, the ship Juno, of Rhode Island, which had been purchased by the Russians at Sitka, arrived at San Francisco, having on board Count Von Resenoff, ambassador from that country to Japan. This individual remained several weeks in California, and became so charmed with the country and its inhabitants, that he made arrangements for founding a colony of Russians in what is now Sonoma county, and engaged to marry the Donna Concepcion Arguello, the beautiful daughter of the Spanish commandante at San Francisco; but, being accidentally killed in Siberia, while on his way to Russia to obtain the Emperor's permission to settle in California, the marriage never took place. The beautiful donna, on learning the fate of her lover, renounced the world, became a Sister of Mercy, and devoted her life to alleviating the sufferings of the sick, and educating the children of the poor, until she died at Benicia, in 1860. The death of Count Von Resenoff also deferred the establishment of the colony till the year 1812, when one hundred Russians, and one hundred Kodiac Indians, arrived from Sitka and settled on a spit of land, about thirty miles from the shore of Bodega Bay, in latitude 38° 18'-fifty-eight miles north-west from San Francisco. They came for the purpose of catching seal, otter, beaver, and other animals, the fur of which was very valuable; and the animals that produced them abounded on all the rivers and creeks on the coast at that time. They were unwelcome guests to the missionaries and Mexican Government, but appear to have ingratiated themselves into favor with the Indians, a great many of whom they employed trapping and hunting, and cultivating the land around their fort.

In 1820, they formed another settlement on the river Sebastian, forty miles north of Bodega, which they named Slawianska; Fort Ross, as it was called by the settlers; or Mount Ross, as it is known at present. They also had a settlement on the Farralones. In 1841, these settlements contained eight hundred Russians, and nearly two