CHAPTER III.

CIVIL GOVERNMENT IN CALIFORNIA UNDER SPANISH

REGIME.

The Military Organization of Occupation-Presidios-Castillos

harbor. For each of the military districts were assigned two hundred and fifty soldiers, which number, however, at no time seems to be attained, there being no inducement for men to enlist as soldiers to serve

Their duties consisted in guarding the

-Soldier's Life and Duties-Ranchos-Reglamento of in California. The force was made up out of ship1781-Pueblos-Municipal Officers--Plan the Missions wrecks, outcasts and criminals, and, eventually, as were built after-Life in the Missions-How the Mission Forbes says: "California became the Botany Bay of Indians were dressed-Mission Lands-Agricultural Imple- America." ments and style of Farm Work-Threshing-Amount of grain used in Upper California in 1831-Value of Field Products-Flouring Mills-Stock Raising-Amount of Stock in 1836--Gleeson on the Missions-The first Grant in California-Increase of Population-Spain's Anxiousness of her Colonies-The Military Government Gaining Supremacy over the Church-Earthquakes, some with Damaging Result-The Russians in California.

Up to the year 1781 the soldiers, only in exceptional cases, with a special permission of the crown, were allowed to marry, which permission was never granted without recommendation of the priest. But this army, however small, became in time quite a severe tax on the home government, and a plan was thought of to lessen the burden. A reglamento issued in 1781, ordered that towns-pueblos-be laid out, and each ex-soldier who would stay in the country, becoming a citizen soldier, and as such holding himself ready to take up arms in case of any emergency, be entitled to a lot of 5561⁄2 feet square, as an unalienable homestead; for further inducement the ex-soldier was paid a salary by the government, for a given time, be exempt from taxation for five years, and was to receive an agricultural outfit, consisting of cattle, horses, mules, sheep, hogs and chickens; but were obliged to sell all the surplus of their produce to the presidios at a stated price.

Coast, accompanying the fathers when abroad, and, last, but not least, to hunt up fugitive Indians, converts that had been reminded of their former independent life, when roaming around the forests in dolce far niente, for which purpose a certain number of them were stationed at each mission; but rarely they were more than half paid. Their dressing was The Spanish Government fitting out an expedition, made up from heavy buckskin, supposed to be impenwhether for exploration or occupation, used to send a etrable to arrows. In connection with each presidio number of priests of the Catholic Church along, so as was a farm, under charge of the military commandant, to have the conquest of the country immediately con- called the rancho, where the soldiers were expected nected and followed by the conquering of the souls to spend their leisure time in growing such products for the Holy Church. Just so in California, the Gov-as would constitute a part of their living. ernor in command of the military forces took possession of the land for Spain, while the priests by making the Indians converts, who, bound by religious affinity, would become subjects to the Spanish Crown, able to defend their country against invasion of other nations. Side by side the soldier and the priest entered California in 1769, establishing the first permanent settlement at San Diego. Seven years later, October, 1776, the Mission of San Francisco de los Dolores was founded, and the province incorporated into Spanish America, with its capital first at Arispe, afterwards at Monterey. The country, on account of occupation, was divided into military districts, each one provided with a garrison place and headquarters for the commandant of the district, and as such the seat of the local government. Eventually there were four of them, called Presidios, in Upper California, located at San Diego, Santa Barbara, Monterey and San Francisco, close to the seaports. In order to serve the purpose of defending the country and giving protection to the missions they were built to resemble in some way a slight fortification; the outside walls made from adobe, about twelve feet high, with small bastions at each corner, mounted with eight twelve-pounder cannons; between these walls there was a space of three hundred feet square enclosed, and occupied with soldiers' chapel, barracks, commandant and officers' quarters and store house; two gateways communicated the intercourse, being open during the day and closed in the night. For better defence each of the presidios had outside of it a fort, called the castillo, consisting of a covered battery, mounted with a few cannons; the location of the castillos was taken with a view to command the

There were only three pueblos in Upper California: Los Angeles, San Jose and Branciforte, the last one near Santa Cruz; San Francisco or Yerba Buena was not a pueblo. A sufficient number of settlers this way located on one place, were entitled to have an alcalde, or municipal officer, whose office duties included those of a justice of the peace. He was appointed for the first two years by the governor, thereafter elected by the community. The pueblos also were open to other settlers, but there were no extra provisions for their inducement made. Not so at the missions; the mother institutions of the whole were inhabited only and without exception by the natives, under religious treatment by the fathers; no others were allowed to

stay at these places, except on a short visit. All of in general use throughout Spanish America. The the missions were planned alike, containing each a mode of agricultural work under management of the church, the monastery, store houses, barracks and the Fathers was still very primitive; no improvement in Father's apartments; these buildings were constructed any line of farming, no science to renovate the exout of adobe walls, two stories high, formed a regu- hausted soil by the alternation of crops, or the utility lar quadrangle of about six hundred feet wide each; of fallows, was either not known to them or they had the church in Basilica style, taking in the no use for them. Was the soil of a certain piece of height of both stories, occupied three-fourth the length of one quadrangle side. The thus enclosed courtyard was ornamented with fountains and trees, after the style of convents in the mother country, and a porch or gallery ran all around, opening upon the workshops, storerooms and other apartments, one of which was the monastery, where, under the care of the matron, the Indian girls were instructed in all such branches as were necessary for their future condition in life, and where they had to remain until they got married. In the schools, vocal and instrumental music was taught to those children who showed sufficient capacity and musical talent. The entire management of all branches in the mission was under the care of the fathers.

Six days in the week were spent in the mission in the following manner: With the ringing of the first bell at sunrise all had to attend church for morning prayers, followed by the celebration of the mass, at which they had to assist. This occupied about an hour.

land not productive enough for a certain kind of grain it was the custom of the fathers to let it lie idle for a long time, as they thought it necessary to gain strength sufficient for another start. The same primitiveness has to be stated about the agricultural implements. The plow in use was formed out of two pieces of wood, one a crooked limb or root, had to give the shape for sole and handle both, to which the tongue beam was attached, the latter being long enough to reach the yoke of the oxen by which the plow was drawn ; a small upright piece fastened to the sole was mortised through the tongue, to be fixed with wedges in the position as the plowman needed it for deep plowing. A small iron share, equal on both sides, and thus unable to turn a furrow, completed the instrument. With this rude implement nobody could. expect that the ground could be broken perfectly, although scratching was done, crossing and recrossing several times, requiring a great number of plows for a large field. Harrows were not known, and in their Then breakfast was taken and everybody went stead a bunch of brush tied together by a pole, were to his or her daily employment until noon. At noon drawn over the ground; in some places a heavy log two hours were spent for dinner and rest, then work was drawn over the field for the same purpose, but was taken up again until an hour before sundown, this log did not roll, but only dragged part of the soil repairing again to church for devotions in family over the seed. Grain was sown by hand, Indian corn prayers and rosary in general, adding extra devo- dropped in furrows, about five feet apart, and by use tional exercises on special occasions. Supper fol. of the foot, covered with dirt. The sowing took place lowed, after which they indulged in innocent games from November, according to the rainy season; the and dances until bedtime. For the night the unmar-grain getting ripe about midsummer, was harvested in ried sexes were locked up separately, the married peo- July and August. Threshing was done in open field, ple occupying the barracks and small huts a short on somewhat hard ground; the grain was laid in a distance from the main building. These were made large circle and a band of horses chased over it, of adobes or rough poles, almost round or octagonal, stamping it out with their feet. After the straw had the roof, tent-like, covered with grass. The style of been removed the grain was taken up with a shovel dressing was something similar to that of the Indians and removed on ox-carts; but as there was no cleaning in California or Nevada nowadays; men wore linen done, it was mixed with dirt and stones, and a considshirts, pants, and a blanket, this serving for an over-erable part of it broken. The ox-cart was a most The women got each two undergarments, a primitive and clumsy affair, the wheels formed solid new gown and a blanket every year. After the mis- out of two pieces, without spokes, working on a heavy sions had grown rich and a good crop made, the Fathers distributed, as a reward for good conduct and a spur for others, money and other presents.

coat.

wooden axle, the upper part above the solid bottom constructed out of upright set pickets connected with another piece on top. For carrying grain it had to be made tight with canes or willows. The oxen were yoked to this cart in a manner alike described at the

Each mission was in possession of a tract of land fifteen miles square, appropriated for culivation and pasturing purposes. The cultivation of grain of plow. the different varieties embraced were, Indian corn, In 1831, the whole amount of grain raised in Upper wheat, barley, and a small bean frijole, which was California, according to the mission records, was

worthy of mention performed by the military branch of the spiritual conquest, were so scarce that we may refer to them in a chronological recapitulation; all the events connected with the military power during that time are absolutely a part of the missions, and so inseparable of the history of those institutions, that up to the founding of the pueblos, it seems no other history was in existence.

46,202 fanegas (a fanega being equal to two and half 1776, for fifty-five following years, the historic events English bushels). Indian corn was then worth one and a half dollars a fanega; wheat and barley, two dollars a fanega. The mills for making flour were still on an equally unimproved style. The power in use was water, working on a horizontal wheel fixed to an upright axle and located under the building, forming a primitive kind of turbine which gave considerable power. The millstone was fastened to the upper end of the same axle with the "tub-wheel" without any transferring machinery for gaining speed, the stone making an equal number of revolutions with the tubwheel; the manipulation of grinding flour will be considered a very slow one.

The first land grant ever issued in California is recorded under date of November 27, 1775, being probably the smallest grant made in this State, containing only 381 feet square. This grant, located at the mission of San Carlos, was given to "Manuel Butron, a soldier, in consideration that he had married Marga

There were three of these kind of gristmills at work in 1835, and of their possession the fathers were boast-rita, a daughter of that mission, and Father Junipero ing as of a rare piece of machinery.

About the same year the grain raised on mission lands began to attract the attention of the European market, and was considered equally good with that produced at the Cape of Good Hope. (History of Placer Co., Cal.)

All other efforts concerning farming life concentrated in stockraising; the unlimited tracts of land afforded an unbroken range of pasture, requiring only very little labor. The stock that the fathers had imported from Mexico accumulated fast, and enabled them already in early times to send big droves of young bulls to Mexico for beef, keeping the cows for breeding. In 1836, the amount of stock on mission land is given to be three hundred thousand black cattle, thirty-two thousand horses, twenty-eight thousand mules, one hundred and fifty-three thousand sheep; the value of which was, five dollars for a fat ox or bull, as well as cow; ten dollars for a saddle-horse, five for a mare, ten for a mule, and two dollars for a sheep. Says Gleeson in his valuable work, "History of the Catholic Church in California:" "The missions were originally intended to be only temporary in duration. It was contemplated that in ten years from the time of their foundation they should cease, as it was then supposed that within that period the Indians would be sufficiently prepared to assume the position and character of citizens, and the mission. settlements would become pueblos, and the mission churches parish institutions, as in older civilizations; but having been neglected and undisturbed by the Spanish Government, they kept on in the old way for sixty years, the comfortable Fathers being in no hurry to insist on a change." The mission lands assigned for grazing and agriculture were held only in fief, and were claimed afterwards by the government-against the loud remonstration of the fathers, however.

recommended Mr. Butron and his Indian wife to the Government and all the other ministers of the King, because, as he says, "they are the first in ail these establishments which have chosen to become permanent settlers of the same."

As stated already, a reglamento was issued with the King's signature, in 1781, creating a system of pueblos for the settlement of ex-soldiers and settlers. To this reglamento, as we think, has to be counted the increase of population—from 1,749, in 1781 the population rose in six years to 5,143, and in 1790 had reached the number of 7,748.

With suspicion and jealousy was Spain watching the movements of other powers, always afraid for her colonies. One instance having reference to the colonies of this coast happened in 1776, where under date of October 23d, the viceroy of Mexico wrote to the Governor of California that, "the King having received intelligence that two armed vessels had started from London under the command of Captain Cook, bound on a voyage of discovery to the Southern Ocean, and the northern coast of California, to be on watch for Captain Cook, and not permit him to enter the ports of California.”

And thirteen years later the Governor of California wrote to the captain in charge of the presidio at San Francisco, as follows:

"Whenever there may arrive at the port of San Francisco a ship, named Columbia, said to belong to General Washington, of the American States, commanded by John Rendrick, which sailed from Boston in September, 1787, bound on a voyage of discovery to the Russian establishments on the northern coast of this peninsula, you will receive the same vessel with caution and delicacy, using for this purpose a small boat, which you have in your possession, and taking the same measures with every other suspicious for

From the time of establishing the first presidio, in eign vessel, giving me prompt notice of the same.