safe anchorage, sheltered from all winds.

When the native inhabitants awoke to see the wonderful stranger which had stolen in upon them unawares in the silence of the night, riding calmly at anchor on the great lonely expanse of the bay, they rushed in wild excitement to the beaches, where, with loud shouts and gesticulations, they frantically implored the visitors to come ashore. Their welcome to the white men was pitifully enthusiastic, and Ayala reports that during his entire stay in the port the relations between his men and the natives remained most agreeable. It is pleasant to know that the Spaniards were under orders to treat them with the greatest consideration-orders which seem to have been strictly obeyed.

Going ashore on the island of the Angels, they found fire-wood and fresh water in abundance. Repairs to the ship, including the stepping of the masts, were made, and here, on the 27th, a thanksgiving mass was celebrated on the beach by Father Santa Maria. After the religious ceremonies the Spanish flag was unfurled to the breeze, while the men of the crew gave nine "vivas" for Carlos III.

On the 12th, Captain Ayala went to examine another island, which he found "so bare and precipitous that there was no landing place even for a launch." To this island he gave the name of Los Alcatrases (the pelicans) because "of the abundant number of these birds seen there." This name, in its singular form, Alcatraz (pelican) has been retained, but an examination of the chart and diary discloses the interesting fact that the island given this name by Ayala' was probably that which now bears the name of Yerba Buena (vulgarly called Goat). Goat). naturally approached it on the precipitous side which faces the mouth. The island now called Alcatraz is described by him as lying near the mouth and dividing its current into two channels, but was left unnamed in both the chart and diary. Through some confusion the name of Alcatraz must have

He

been transferred to its present location at a later date.

While the San Carlos lay at anchor the two pilotos, Canizares and Aguirre, taking the launch and dugout made at Monterey, went out at various times to make a thorough exploration of the shores of the bay. The "cayuco," after serving its makers faithfully in this work, broke loose from its moorings one day and was washed out to sea, where it became the plaything of the sportive waves and was finally washed on the beach below the site of the present Cliff House. Here this first example of Pacific Coast shipbuilding was afterwards found lying high and dry by the land party from Monterey. Because of the wounded foot from which he had been suffering since the first part of the voyage, Captain Ayala compelled to depute most of the work of exploration to his subordinates.

The launch was sent to examine a bay lying to the west-north-west of their anchorage, which, because of a rock in the middle that to their fancy resembled a Carmelite nun, they called Carmelita, now known as Richardson's Bay. Here they saw a rancheria (village) of Indian huts. The inhabitants ran out, shouting and making signs for them to approach. The boat drew nearer. Seeing this, the Indians planted on the shore a stick which bore on its upper end a large plume of feathers, and which seemed designed to play the part of a flag of truce. The natives of the Northwest Coast sometimes carried a white leaf on a stick in this way as a sign of peace. Having no orders to treat with them the boat drew farther away. The Indians evidently thought this betokened fear, and, to reassure the Spaniards, first threw their bows on the ground, then, making circles in the air with the arrows, stuck them in the sand. The boat once more approached while the Indians beckoned and called

but the lack of an interpreter made it impossible to understand a word of their harangues.

San Pablo Bay (called by the Span

iards La Bahia Redonda (the round bay), was thoroughly explored by the launch, and is described by Canizares as "bordered by broken hills, with no trees except two groves on the southwest bank, the rest of it being dry, bare and of a melancholy aspect." Passing through the strait they went on up through Suisun Bay as far as the mouth of the San Joaquin River, which they named San Juan Bautista. On the bank of this bay, near the entrance, they found a rancheria of four hundred souls, upon whom the pilot bestowed presents of beads and some of his own clothing, the last, considering that these Indians usually went entirely unclothed, a somewhat superfluous gift. The natives returned this generosity to the best of their poor resources, bringing presents of fish, seeds and pinole (meal made of seeds and acorns.) Canizares speaks of them in these favorable terms: "I found them always as amiable as at first, observing in them an urbane politeness, and what is still better, modesty and good deportment in the women. They were never impertinent, as were many others whom I have seen in this conquest, but only asked for things that they saw we were willing to give them." They readily ate the food given them by the Spaniards, in this differing from other natives of the coast, who very reasonably feared the food as the possible cause of the scurvy so prevalent among the white men. Like other Californians, they showed great aptitude in acquiring the Spanish language, and soon learned to ask for ship's biscuit by saying "dame pan" (give me bread.) This village had rafts, or rather canoes, made of tule leaves woven together, and so skillfully constructed that the Spaniards marveled at them. In these frail canoes, each of which held four men, they went fearlessly out to fish on the treacherous waters of the bay, and so swiftly did they paddle with their double-bladed oars that they often left the launch far behind. Probably because of the food supplies received from the Indians at this place, the vil

lage was named Los Cocorros (succor, or help.) Mare Island was observed by them and named Isla Plana (flat island.)

After the northern shore had been carefully examined, the second piloto, Aguirre, was sent to explore the southenr part, where he found many coves and good anchorages. He saw no natives except three, who did nothing but weep, for which reason he called the cove where they were La Ensenada de los Florones (the bay of the weepers.) This custom of wailing is mentioned by Drake, who says: "From a mile away we did with wonder and admiration heare the same, the women especially extending their voices in a most miserable and dolefull manner of shrieking." This cove with the tearful name is identified by Bancroft with what later became Mission Bay.

Several trips were made by the launch to a point on the shore southeast of the mouth, where it had been arranged that they were to meet the land party from Monterey. Finding no signs of them, Father Santa Maria prepared letters which were left at the foot of the cross on Point Lobos. This cross, erected by Rivera in 1773, had been respected by the Indians, through fear or superstition, and for the intervening two years had stood like a sacred sentinel, with its two great arms outstretched, keeping lonely guard at the gate to the puerto famoso (fine port) so recently discovered. Only the roar of the breakers as they foamed at its foot, the raucous barking of the seals on the rocks below, and the lazy flapping of the wings of multitudes of pelicans on the way to their resting place on the island within, disturbed the peaceful monotony of its solitude. This point was most fitly named by Ayala Angel de la Guarda (guardian angel), while the opposite point, now Bonita, was called Santiago, in honor of the patron saint of Spain. For reasons too lengthy to enter into here, the arrival of the land party fom Monterey was delayed until after the departure of the San Carlos from the bay.

The two points, now Lime Point and Fort Point, which, in the language of the diary, "form the mouth of this fine bay," were called San Carlos and San Jose. On September 2d, the launch was sent to examine a bay called Consolacion, "which is formed by Point San Carlos and the southern point of Carmelita." This cove, where they found a good anchorage, is probably identical with Horse Shoe Bay.

The report of Canizares describes the bay of San Francisco in detail, with the depth of water, currents, etc., in every part. Ayala reported to the viceroy that the bay was one of "the best he had seen in those seas from Cape Horn up," and that it was "not one port, but many, with a single entrance." He goes on to say: "The said bay is a good port, not only because of the fine proportions which it offers to to the sight, but also because there is no scarcity of good water, wood and stone for ballast. Its climate, although cold, is entirely healthful, and is free from the annoying daily fogs experienced at Monterey. To all these advantages must be added the best of all, which is that the heathen Indians of the port are so faithful in their friendship and so docile in their disposition that I was greatly pleased to receive them on board. It must be admitted that this good fellowship served us greatly in permitting us to make the exploration for which we came with less fear." In reading this account, the most faithful admirers of San Francisco Bay must be inclined to believe that Ayala's stay there was singularly fortunate in regard to fogs.

After a sojourn in the bay of forty

four days, having given up hope of seeing the land party, they prepared to depart. On September 7th, at eleven o'clock in the morning, they raised anchor and left the shelter of the island of the Angels, but when opposite the mouth, they became much alarmed by the sight of the heavy seas breaking on the bar. The great lonely bay seemed reluctant to give up this first visitor from a foreign world, and the departure of the little vessel was not so easily accomplished as her entrance. Off Point San Carlos she ran on a hidden rock and damaged her rudder, being compelled to retire into Consolacion (Horse Shoe) Bay and make repairs. Some days later a north wind came up, opportunely for their purpose, and they were enabled to steer their way safely through the channel, passing out at 12 noon on September 18th. Although the ship immediately ran into a fog so dense that the land, even at the distance of a pistol shot, could not be seen, she crowded on all sail, and, favored by the north wind at her back, made such a speedy passage to Monterey that she was able to drop anchor in that bay at two o'clock the next afternoon, the 19th. This date has been incorrectly given in a number of histories as the 22d.

Thus ends the story of the first passage of a white man's ship through the famous Golden Gate. For years seamen had passed by the narrow entrance, fearing the imaginary perils that might lurk within, and when

"At last the deed was done Of dangers there were none!"

PAIN'S policy during the days of

Sher glory in the conquest and

settlement of the Americas was to temper the military power with the spiritual influence of the Holy Church. Charles V appointed Las Las Casas to a bishopric in Mexico, and his sterling manhood and spiritual ideals won for him eternal honor in his great constructive work. He endeavored with all the strength of his noble character to save the Indians from the cruel exploitation of the Spanish adventurers. The natives died like flies in mines and on plantations, where they were whipped and tortured to undergo more cruel labors than those imposed on the early galley slaves. Las Casas' opposition proved so strong and his influence became so great that a cabal among the adventurers was instituted to destroy his power. Through back door diplomacy at the court of Spain this result was brought about. He resigned his bishopric and returned to Spain, 1551. Thus ended the active life of a great Dominican priest who is justly regarded by historians as one of the noblest souls that pioneered the cross on this continent. For fifty years he spread the gospel among the natives and strove in every churchly and practical way to make their domestic surroundings and every day life more humane. Las Casas and his fellow Dominicans were the pioneers on this continent in working out the central idea of the unique system whereby the missions and colony system as a unit was planted in the territory now covered by Mexico, Arizona, Texas, and Lower California. Fra Junipero Serra, later, inherited Las Casas mantle in this great work, and carried the cross and the mission idea successfully into upper California.

The object of the government was to have the Indians taught the rudiments of the Christian religion and at the same time train them in practical forms of labor and the arts; thereby preparing them for a fuller Christian life, all intended for a better standard in the home surroundings. Co-ordinately the military branch of this system established forts for defense at such strategic points in the territory as they sought fit, as at Yerba Buena (later San Francisco), San Diego and Monterey Bays, which were justly regarded as being worth defending against all hazards. A Mission was invariably built near such presidios and sometimes a pueblo (a village), that was usually the gathering place of half-breeds and off-scourings of the social order. The best of the social life of these colonies was centered in the presidio, the military officials taking the lead in all such affairs.

For over a century this system slowly advanced its way through the main sections of Mexico, which then included the present territory of Texas, Arizona, New Mexico. At that time, a few years before the opening of the Revolutionary War, 1775, California was an unknown land, and had been touched by only two Spanish navigators, who ventured to explore its shores, Cabrillo, who first discovered the coast line of California (1542), and entered San Diego Bay, and Vizcaino, who later touched at Monterey Bay (1602.) Bay (1602.) Later (1579), Sir Francis Drake, on one of his looting expeditions of Spanish towns around Panama, sailed north along the coast of California, and, passing by the Golden Gate, sailed some thirty miles further north to a little bay where he careened his vessel and prepared her for a voyage across the Pacific.