grants, if there be any such, issued since the persons who made them ceased from their functions in that respect.

I think the state of land titles in that country will allow the public lands to be ascertained, and the private lands set apart by judicious measures, with little difficulty. Any measure calculated to discredit, or cause to be distrusted the general character of the titles there, besides the alarm and anxiety which it would create among the ancient population, and among all present holders of property, would, I believe, also retard the substantial improvement of the country: a title discredited is not destroyed, but every one is afraid to touch it, or at all events to invest labor and money in improvements that rest on a suspected tenure. The holder is afraid to improve; others are afraid to purchase, or if they do purchase at its discredited value, willing only to make inconsiderable investments upon it. The titles not called in question (as they certainly for any reason that I could discover do not deserve to be), the pressure of population and the force of circumstances will soon operate to break up the existing large tracts into farms of such extent as the nature of the country will allow of, and the wants of the community require; and this under circumstances and with such assurance of tenure, as will warrant those substantial improvements that the thrift and prosperity of the country in other respects invite.

I think the rights of the Government will be fully secured, and the interests and permanent prosperity of all classes in that country best consulted, by no other general measure in relation to private property than an authorized survey according to the grants, where the grants are modern, or since the accession of the Mexican government, reserving the overplus; or, according to ancient possession, where it dates from the time of the Spanish government, and the written evidence of the grant is lost, or does not afford data for the survey. But providing that in any case where, from the opinion of the proper law officer or agent of the Government in the State, or from information in any way received, there may be reason to suppose a grant invalid, the Government (or proper officer of it) may direct a suit to be instituted for its annulment,"

In glancing at the head of this chapter, we must ask the reader not to indulge in the vain hope that a full history of the grants comprised within the boundaries of what is known as San Mateo county will be found; such, indeed, would be beyond the limits of this work, even had we at hand the infinity of resources to be found in the many cases which have arisen out of them. Our compilation must of necessity be accepted in its crude form. We have striven to our utmost capacity to procure some information which would combine both usefulness and correctness, and to this end have relied on the knowledge contained in a legal work on whose title page is the legend: "Reports of Land Cases determined in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. June Term, 1853, to June Term, 1858, inclusive, by Ogden

Hoffman, District Judge; San Francisco; Numa Hubert, 1862." The first case we find is as follows:

CANADA DEL CORTE DE MADERA.-Santa Clara county (a portion of which is located in San Mateo county), granted in 1833 by José Figueroa to D. Peralta and Maximo Martinez; claim filed August 14, 1852; rejected by the commission October 2, 1855, and confirmed by the District Court April 6, 1858.

SAN ANTONIO, OR EL PESCADERO.-Juan José Gonzales, claimant for San Antonio, or El Pescadero, three-fourth square league, in Santa Cruz county, granted December 24, 1833, by José Figueroa to J. J. Gonzales; claim filed September 11, 1852, confirmed by the commission January 31, 1854, by the District Court October 29, 1855, and decree affirmed by the United States Supreme Court in 22 Howard, 161; containing 3,282.22 acres.

BURI BURI.-José de la Cruz Sanchez et al., claimant for Buri Buri, in San Mateo county, granted September 18, 1835, by José Castro to José Sanchez; claim filed March 9, 1852, confirmed by the commission January 31, 1854, by the District Court October 16, 1855, and appeal dismissed May 11, 1858; containing 15,739.14 acres.

LAS PULGAS. Maria de la Soledad, Ortega de Arguello, et al., claimants for four square leagues, in San Mateo county, granted December 10, 1835, to Louis Arguello; claim filed January 21, 1852, confirmed by the commission October 2, 1853, by the District Court January 26, 1855, and by the United States Supreme Court in 18 Howard, 539; containing 35,240.47 acres. Patented.

BUTANO.-Manuel Rodriguez, claimant for Butano, one square league in Santa Cruz county, informal grant February 19, 1838, by Juan B. Alvarado, and ratified November 13, 1844, by Manuel Micheltorena to Romana Sanchez; claim filed February 24, 1853, confirmed by the commissioner February 8, 1855, by the District Court November 19, 1856, and appeal dismissed June 12, 1857; containing 3,025.65 acres.

CANADA DE VERDE Y ARROYO DE LA PURISSIMA.-José Antonio Alvisu, claimant for Cañada de Verde y Arroyo de la Purissima, two square leagues in Santa Cruz county, granted April, 25, 1838, by Juan B. Alvarado to José Maria Alvisu; claim filed September 22, 1852, confirmed by the commission July 10, 1855, by the District Court March 9, 1857, and decree of confirmation affirmed by the United States Supreme Court, 23 Howard, 318; containing 8,905.58 acres.

SAN PEDRO.-Francisco Sanchez, claimant for San Pedro, two square leagues in San Mateo county, granted January 26, 1839, by Juan B. Alvarado to

Francisco Sanchez; claim filed September 22, 1852, confirmed by the commission December 13, 1853, and appeal dismissed March 20, 1857; containing 8,926.46 acres.

SAN GREGORIO.—Salvador Castro, claimant for part of San Gregorio, one square league in Santa Cruz county, granted April 6, 1839, by Juan B. Alvarado to Antonio Buelna; claim filed September 22, 1852, rejected by the commission December 27, 1853, confirmed by the District Court January 14, 1856, and appeal dismissed July 23, 1857; containing 4,439.31 acres. Patented.

CORRAL DE TIERRA.-Tiburcio Vasquez, claimant for Corral de Tierra, one square league in San Mateo county, granted October 5, 1839, by Manuel Jimeno to T. Vasquez; claim filed February 17, 1853, confirmed by the commissioner August 15, 1854, by the District Court April 18, 1859, and appeal dismissed June 29, 1859; containing 4,436.18 acres.

CANADA DE RAYMUNDO.-Maria Louisa Greer, et al., claimants for Canada de Raymundo, two and a-half by three-quarter leagues, in San Mateo County, granted August 3, 1840, by Juan B. Alvarado to John Copinger; claim filed February 3, 1852, confirmed by the commission November 29, 1853, by the District Court, January 14, 1856, and appeal dismissed November 11, 1856; containing 12,545.01 acres, patented.

ARROYO DE LOS PILARCITOS.-Candelario Miramontes, claimant for Arroyo de los Pilarcitos, one square league in Santa Clara County, granted January 2, 1841, by Juan B. Alvarado to C. Miramontes; claim filed September 22, 1852, confirmed by the commission February 6, 1855, by the District Court February 16, 1857, and appeal dismissed March 31, 1857; containing 4,424.12

acres.

CANADA DE GUADALUPE AND VISITACIO N Y RODEO VIEGO.-Henry R. Payson, claimant for Canada de Guadalupe and Visitacion y Rodeo Viego, two square leagues in San Mateo county, granted July 31, 1841, Juan B. Alvarado to Jacob P. Leese; claim filed March 2, 1853, confirmed by the commission January 30, 1855, by the District Court June 18, 1856, and appeal dismissed April 1, 1857; containing 9,594.90 acres.

PUNTA DEL ANO NUEVO.-Maria Antonio Pico, et al., heirs of Simon Castro claimants for Punta del Año Nuevo, four square leagues in Santa Cruz county, granted May 27, 1842, by Juan B. Alvarado to Simon Castro; claim filed August 31, 1852, confirmed by the commission December 13, 1853, by the District Court December 4, 1856. Appeal dissmissed April 2, 1856; containing 17,763.15 acres. Patented.

FELIZ RANCHO.-Domingo Feliz, claimant for Feliz Rancho, one square league in San Mateo county, granted May 1, 1844, by Manuel Micheltorena to D. Feliz; claim filed February 17, 1852, confirmed by the commission January 27, 1854, by the District Court October 29, 1855, and appeal dismissed November 18, 1856; containing 4,448.27 acres.

THE RANCHO DE SAN MATEO.-W. D. M. Howard, claimant for San Mateo, two square leagues in San Mateo county, granted May 5th or 6th, 1846, by Pio Pico to Cayetano Arenas; claim filed February 7, 1853, confirmed by the commission September 18, 1855, and appeal dismissed April 6, 1857; containing 6,538.80 acres. Patented.

HISTORY OF TOWNSHIPS, VILLAGES, ETC.

PESCADERO.-This name suggests -not only to the inhabitants of San Mateo county, but the thousands of tourists who have sought out the romantic and picturesque scenery of the Pacific coast-a spot where nature seemed loth to expose her charms, and slyly hid Pescadero away among the mountains. Here a recess in the coast hills widens into a perfectly level plain of several hundred acres, into which two perennial streams drop down from their weird sources in the dark forests of redwood, and rush out of the narrow gateway to the sea.

Of civilized men, this little valley first attracted the attention of one Gonzales, a Spaniard, who obtained a grant of it from the Mexican government, called the Rancho de San Antonio, or Pescadero. Perhaps the hundreds of anglers who have decoyed the speckled trout from the Butano and Pescadero creeks have never reflected that the great abundance with which these streams were filled gave rise to the name of the grant and the town. Gonzales came upon the grant with the intention of erecting a permanent residence, but soon after died.

Pescadero is an unincorporated town of about four hundred inhabitants, and surrounded by a farming country of great fertility, which has generally been devoted to dairying and the cultivation of potatoes. Its geographical location is upon the Pescadero creek, about two miles from the sea, and distant thirty-two miles from the county seat, with which it is connected by an excellent road via Woodside, Searsville, Weeks', La Honda, and San Gregorio. This route is traversed by daily stages.

The town is also connected by stage lines with San Mateo and Santa Cruz, from which points it is distant respectively thirty and thirty-five miles.

The attractions that have rendered Pescadero a favorite summer resort are numerous and varied. The village itself is a model of neatness, and there are several beautiful residences.

The climate is of that happy mean between the heat that parches and the cold that chills. Mineral springs abound; trout streams make it a paradise for fishermen; the dense forests of redwood afford magnificent picnic and camping grounds, of which Camps Spaulding, Butano, and Roaring Camp are examples. The pebble, moss and shell beach has for years been the resort of tourists and pleasure-seekers, and Pescadero pebbles can be found in many of the Eastern States and Europe.