98

STOCKING A RANCHO.

poorest shepherd of the Sierra Morena, or the Alpuxarras invariably offers a part of his humble dish of "gaspacho" to a stranger, so the honest ranchero of California places everything at his disposal; and while an offer of remuneration is received with a constrained politeness, indicating wounded sensibility, it is always met with a decided negative. How long this will be the case remains to be seen. As civilization advances it is not unlikely that putting every thing "at your disposition" will mean as little in California as in Castile; and the only mortification evinced at an offer of remuneration will result from the insufficiency of the guerdon. The world is advancing; and California must keep pace with it.

The ranchero prefers the month of March for the "fundacion" or establishment of his farm. In the first place, he builds a house of boughs, a mere sylvan bower, which, for the next seven months, answers all the purposes of a more substantial lodge, besides enabling the occupant, however poor, to keep open-house. During these seven months he enjoys, without interruption, the most charming summer weather, the skies being almost without a cloud, and occasional mists and constant dews supplying the place of rain. In this part of California thunder and lightning are unknown, but at rare intervals thunder is heard in the neighborhood of Los Angeles. Taking possession of his primitive mansion with his family, the ranchero proceeds to improve his estate. He purchases about one hundred head of cattle, at least thirty or forty horses, and usually adds a flock of sheep and a quantity of poultry. When the breeding of cattle is properly attended to, the increase in this country is astonishing. The kind of cattle most suitable for a rapid increase are 'vaquillas," (heifers), the usual proportion being one hundred heifers to half a dozen bulls. To one "manada," (herd), consisting of thirty or forty mares, a single stallion is added. On a well-regulated rancho, the increase of neat cattle may be safely calculated at thirty per cent. per

annum, allowing for casualties. Thus one hundred head, properly selected, nearly double by the end of the third year, at which time the first year's calves begin to produce, making, I believe, a greater ratio than is known in any other country. This estimate, however, is exceedingly moderate, fifty per cent. and even seventy per annum having been obtained under favorable circumstances. This is probably due to the favorable climate, the unequalled pasture, and the state of nature in which the animal lives.

When the ranchero procures his cattle and other animals, until they are carenciado," or accustomed to the farm, they are driven every day or two round and round some convenient spot, by the shouting "vaqueros." Both the place and the act of driving are called "rodea," and this practice renders the cattle comparatively tame and peaceable, habituating them to the control of man, and exerting a great influence upon their increase. A "rodea" is usually held, in a well-regulated district, one day in each week, and upon every rancho alternately, the neighboring rancheros attending to reclaim their stray cattle. The several owners recognize their animals by their peculiar “fierro” or brand, and by the "señal" or ear-mark, which differ on each rancho. The brand, which is registered according to law, is usually the initial letter of the ranchero or his rancho, but is sometimes a merely arbitrary sign. The ear-mark is a peculiar slit or hole, or a combination of both. These marks are made on the young calves, and at least once a year they are renewed. To effect this, the animals must be thrown down, which feat is performed by two horsemen with their lassos. The usual time for marking is at the annual "matanzas," or slaughter, in the month of August. The cattle are then driven to the corral, or circular farmyard, and the doomed ones slaughtered; the hides are pegged out in the sun, the meat cut into strips and hung on trees and poles to dry, and the tallow, after being melted down in large try-pots or kettles, is packed in skins sewed

100

INCREASE OF CATTLE.

up with thongs. The hides and tallow are the only parts exported, the dried beef being consumed in the country as well as the finer quality of tallow or "manteca," made from the fat of the intestines. The heads, horns, hoofs, bones, &c., are utterly wasted and thrown away; and, indeed, until within a few years, immense numbers of cattle were slaughtered for their hides alone, the entire carcass being left to corrupt, or to feed immense numbers of wild beasts and large vultures, which were thus greatly encouraged and augmented. I shall have more to say of the matanzas in another chapter. Stabling for any kind of animals is entirely unknown, the nearest approach to it being a sheep-fold. A "mayor-domo" or steward, usually a white man, but sometimes an Indian, superintends a whole rancho; a couple of vaqueros are necessary to look after the cattle and horses, and an Indian family attend to the sheep and do “chores." The wages of the Indians are moderate, and are always paid in merchandise, a dollar in money being sometimes thrown in on a feast day.

A rancho is thus soon established, and if the owner be industrious and provident, he secures not only a competence, but, by cultivating his fields—which in the valleys produce one hundred bushels of wheat to the acre, and other crops in proportion-his fortune is made. In no other country was it so easy to acquire an independence. I say was, because the new order of things will probably raise the price of land, and prevent the occupation of such large tracts by individuals. Still, for many years to come, industrious farmers can undoubtedly become opulent on small means, without troubling themselves about gold mines. A league of land on most ranchos will support one thousand head of neat cattle, besides horses, sheep, hogs, &c. Of these, after the third year, three hundred can be killed, annually, without prejudice to the increase of the stock at a handsome rate, the females being mostly reserved from slaughter. These will yield, on an average, $10 per head; say $3,000.

If the rancheros are not rich, it is owing partly to the oppressive, plundering system, pursued by their late government, but chiefly to their own good-for-nothing habits. Laziness, carelessness, gambling, a low state of civilization, and a community of goods, (of which hereafter), are not calculated to produce thrift, and it is not strange that their condition has been less comfortable than that of day-laborers in the Atlantic States. As an instance of their improvidence, I will state that, although cattle are so abundant, milk, butter and cheese, can scarcely ever be procured at a rancho. They will not trouble themselves to tame cows for milking; but this rule is not invariable, a few milch cows (vacas chichiguas) being sometimes found about a rancho. All the Californians care to eat is bovine and cereal food, and they are good judges of beef and tortillas.

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The trade of this country has been mostly monopolized by a few Boston houses, and Boston is better known among the natives of all kinds than any other part of the United States. These houses despatched to their agents assorted cargoes of plain cottons, prints, handkerchiefs, shoes, hats, coarse woollens, hardware, fancy goods, and, in short, specimens of all the cheapest fabrics of Lowell, Lynn, and Marblehead, and a plentiful supply of the auction trash of Boston. All these "notions" arriving at Monterey, a bargain was struck, as in Mexico, with the Governor, “Commandante General," Administrador," &c., to lump the duties, with a sovereign contempt of the Mexican tariff, and without regard to what was contraband or non-contraband. The vessel received her permit, and forthwith opened a retail shop on board, peddling the goods from port to port at most enormous profits, justified to the awfully-shaved purchaser by well-salted invoices, and monstrous duties paid to the honest officials. Now the ranchero purchaser was already in debt to the merchant and had no money; but his credit stood high, and he took more goods on a fresh "trust," at prices which no man without a caoutchouc

102

COLLECTING DEBTS.

conscience could ask, and which no man without a naked family would ever agree to pay. Thus a piece of coarse Lowell "manta," or unbleached muslin, costing at home not over three dollars, was spared to the ranchero for twenty dollars, and other things in the same fair proportion. But the benevolent dealer sold his goods without money, if not without price, contenting himself with the note of his easy customer. Had this been the end of the joke, the ranchero would have been perfectly satisfied. But that most awful day in the calendar-pay-day-was yet to come; and the Scripture tells us that, "Where the carcass is, there shall the young eagles be gathered." So our Boston adventurers were seldom out of the way when the "matanzas" was going on. Then, or shortly afterwards, the "cuerreros," (hide-seekers), and the " cuerreritos," (the little ditto, or clerks), were on the alert, and incontinently set about riding to the ranchos, and riding down the rancheros, with urgent and fervent dunning exhortations to the effect that they would be pleased to poney up." Various were the shifts and devices resorted to by the hard-pushed debtors-who emulated their brethren in more enlightened communities-to avoid "coming up to the Capting's office to settle." Their cattle had not yielded the expected increase, the wild Indians had proved uncommonly thievish, and a hundred other dilatory pleas were interposed. But the persevering Yankee never relaxed his efforts, never ceased to dun, dun, dun, until he had worried the debtor out of the requisite number of hides at moderate prices. Hence, perhaps, the expression common to baffled creditors, "I will take it out of your hide." Well, the hides went to Boston, and in due time a few of them came back in the shape of dressed leather and pegged shoes, which were disposed of to the original owners of the raw material at a ruinous sacrifice,"—each pair of the latter probably stripping only one bull of his hide. Since the time when Queen Dido came the hide

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