may give a brief notice of the various governors and other public officers who were connected with California, subsequently to the Mexican declaration of independence. The list is somewhat a long one for so short a period; and illustrates the feeble hold which Mexico had upon the political affections of so remote and neglected a province :

Sola was the last Californian governor under the Spanish flag and the first under the Mexican. In 1823 he was ordered to Mexico, and Don Luis Antonio Argüello was named governor, with all the powers of his predecessor, and remained so until the arrival of Echeandia, in the beginning of 1825. Echeandia had command until the arrival of Victoria, in 1830. Victoria continued in power until the winter of 1832, when the Californians revolted, and sent him away. At that time Pio Pico was the senior member of the territorial department, and by law became governor pro tempore. Echeandia, meanwhile, had remained among his friends at San Diego, probably expecting some speedy change in political affairs; and, when Victoria was about to leave, he took the military command. Both he and Pico continued in office till the arrival of Figueroa in 1833. Figueroa died in 1835; and, during his last illness, delivered over the civil command to Don José Castro, and the military to Don Nicolas Gutierrez, Castro being at that time senior member of the department. These remained in office until the arrival of Chico, in 1836. The same year Chico was sent away by the Junta department. Previous to his departure he left the military and civil command with Gutierrez, he having been formerly his second.

On the 6th of November, 1836, the Californians, assisted by foreigners under Captain Graham, an American, and Captain Coppinger, an Englishman, revolted against Gutierrez; and the latter was forced to leave the country, with all his officers, except those who took part in favor of the natives, and wished to remain. Don Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo played an important rôle in this revolution, and became commander of the forces; while his nephew, Don Juan Bautista Alvarado, was made civil governor. These positions they held until the arrival of Micheltorena, in 1842. Early in 1845, Micheltorena was sent away by the Californians, after forming a sort of treaty with them (he being desirous to pro

ceed to Mexico), leaving José Castro with the military command. Pio Pico, who was again the senior member of the Junta department, then became governor. These two continued in power, as military and civil heads respectively, until the Americans took possession of the country. Sola, Argüello, Echeandria, Victoria, Figueroa, Chico and Micheltorena, all had the united civil and military authority.

In 1843, Mr. Thomas O. Larkin was appointed the first, as he happened to be the last American consul in California. That gentleman also held various other official and important appointments from the United States Government up to the year 1848, when peace was declared, and the country became American. In 1845, Mr. Larkin, who resided at Monterey, the nominal Mexican capital of the province, named Mr. William A. Leidesdorff the United States vice-consul, at the port of San Francisco. Mr. James A. Forbes received the appointment of the first British consul in 1844, or 1845. The first French consul, Don Luis Gasquet, arrived in California, via Mexico, about the 10th of May, 1845, and left some time in 1847. He remained a considerable time in the country after he delivered the consulate over to M. Movenhaut.

CHAPTER XI.

Peace concluded between the Mexican and American States.-Terms of the Treaty.-California ceded to the United States.-The country ruled provisionally by American Governors.-Rapid increase of population by immigration.-Discovery of gold on the American River by Mr. James W. Marshall.-Great excitement in consequence of the discovery, and rush of people to the gold placers. -Mixed character of the population.-Necessity for the establishment of a proper form of Government.-Independent sectional legislation inadequate and unsatisfactory.-Meetings held to effect a general civil organization.-General Riley issues a proclamation for a meeting to be held at Monterey to adopt a State Constitution.-Names of delegates appointed.-Meeting at Monterey.-Constitution of California adopted, and rejoicings on the occasion.

THE general war continued for about a year after the reduction of California. At last, in the month of February, 1848, an armistice was entered into between the hostile parties, which endured till a formal treaty of peace was concluded. This was ratified by the Senate of the United States in March, and by the Mexican Congress in May following of the year just named. By this treaty a considerable territory was ceded by Mexico. The boundary line between it and the United States was declared to be the Rio Grande, up mid-channel of which it ran till about the thirty-second parallel; from whence, turning westward, along the southern limit of New Mexico till it cut the Gila, down the middle of which river it proceeded till its junction with the Rio Colorado; from whence it ran westward till it reached the Pacific, at a point about one league south of San Diego, nearly on latitude thirty-two and a half. Thus Texas, to its full extent, New Mexico and Upper California were altogether contained within the boundary line on the American side. The free navigation of the Rio Colorado, from the mouth of the Gila to the Gulf of California, as well as of the gulf itself, were likewise secured to the United States. To compensate, in some measure, for the cession of such a vast territory, the American Government agreed to pay to Mexico the sum of $15,000,000; and, moreover, took upon itself all liability for the damages due by Mexico to American subjects,

which, as before stated, was one of the original causes of the war. Each nation was to defray its own expenses in conducting hostilities. There were several minor stipulations in the treaty; but with these we have nothing here to do. It is sufficient merely to say, that California was now, wholly and legally, a portion of the American Union; and her people of Spanish or of other origin, were henceforward American citizens.

Meanwhile the country was ruled, provisionally, by successive American governors, until a constitution could be granted by Congress, when it would be formally assumed as a Territory of the Union. Events, however, were about to happen which superseded the necessity of such a constitution, and hastened the development of California into a State, without passing through the intermediate stage of a territory. Like the Minerva on its public seal, it started into life a full grown being, ripe in all its faculties and powers, and at once fitted to contend with whoever and whatever should oppose its wonderful progress. This was owing to the discovery of gold in the country and consequent rush of immigration thither, with all its attendant effects.

But before this discovery took place, a vast immigration from all sides had begun to flow towards California. The previous advantages which the country had offered to the intending immigrant, were on a sudden immensely increased by the circumstance of its being now a portion of the American Union. Accordingly, large bodies of people were beginning to flock to the land; and agriculture, trade and commerce were greatly benefited by the accession of such numbers of active, intelligent and industrious settlers. In 1845, it was estimated that the white population had increased to about 8,000; while the domesticated Indians, who but a dozen years before had numbered nearly 30,000, now scarcely amounted to one-third of that number. As for the wild or "gentile" Indians, it was impossible to form any reasonable conjecture as to their numbers. They were, however, generally supposed, by different parties, to number from one to three hundred thousand. As they inhabited districts hitherto scarcely visited by the white man, their presence and numbers were considered as of no account in the progress of the country. The years 1846 and 1847 brought a very

large accession to the white population. Colonel Stevenson's regiment of New York volunteers alone gave a body of a thousand hardy settlers, as nearly the whole number, officers as well as men, remained in the country upon being disbanded, which indeed had been anticipated. But beside these, great numbers of Americans had journeyed from the Atlantic States across the Rocky and Snowy Mountains, and settled in California. Numerous companies of Mormons likewise either came direct from the Eastern States, or from their settlements beside the Great Salt Lake. A portion of these had formed the noted "Mormon Battalion" of the war. At the same time, far more than the usual proportion of stragglers, runaway seamen, and adventurers from all nations continued to pour into the country, so soon as the war and its first results were known. At the close of hostilities, it was estimated that the white population, of all nations, numbered between 12,000 and 15,000, which was not merely annually but daily increasing. Such was the beneficent influence and magic power of the American flag! People knew that they were safe under its folds, and free to run the race of a prosperous

career.

But immeasurably exceeding all other causes in raising the swelling tide of immigration was the discovery of gold. This happened at Coloma, a valley and town situated between fifty and sixty miles east of Sacramento City, in the month of January, 1848; curiously enough, just when the land was ceasing to be Mexican. Many strange and improbable stories have been told as to the alleged earliest discoveries; but we believe that the only reliable account is that given by Captain Sutter, upon whose ground the precious metal was first found, and which we shall therefore adopt, without noticing the various fabulous statements alluded to.

It appears that Captain Sutter, during the winter of 1847-48, was erecting a saw-mill for producing lumber, on the south fork of the American River, a feeder of the Sacramento. Mr. James W. Marshall contracted with Sutter for the building of this mill; and, in the course of his operations, had occasion to admit the river water into the tail-race, for the purpose of widening and deepening it by the strength of the current. In doing this, a