|
HISTORY
El
Dorado County, California.
CHAPTER
I.
EARLY
DISCOVERIES AND EXPLORATION OF THE COAST AND LOWER CALIFORNIA.
Vasco
Numez de Balboa Discovers the Ocean Beyond America--
Magellan Naming It
the Pacific--Cortez's Account of An Island of Amazons--First Exploring
Expedition in 1534, and Its Fate--Second Expedition in
1536, and
Establishing the First Colony--The Name of California Mentioned for the
First Time--Exploration on the Coast, Further North; Search of the Straits
of Anian--First Landing and First Possessory Claim to the
Country--Discovery of San Diego and Monterey Harbors in
1602--King Philip III, of Spain, Urging to New Explorations; Wants a Supply Station for the
East India Galleons--Admiral Otondo's Expedition ; Founding La
Paz--Father
Kino Studying the Indians and Teaching them the Catholic Faith--The
Military Government Abandons All Efforts of Occupying California by
Colonization--Father Kino's Scheme to Elevate the Indians by Religion and
Industry--Gaining Assistance of Tierra and Ugarte--The King's Warrant for
the Conquest of Souls--Work Started and Possession Taken of Country
October 25, 1697--Indian Troubles, and to Induce Them to
Work--The Plan of
Operation Proved to be a Success--The Jesuits
Banished, the Franciscans
Take Their Place, but Turn the Missions to the Dominicans--The Francicans
of the Missionary Conquest in Upper California--Expedition Fitted Up,
Father Junipero Serra, President--Arrival of Expedition at
San Diego.
It was in the
eventful year of 1769, when on the Atlantic side of this continent, Boon
and Croghan and kindred frontiersmen were looking from the summits of the
Alleghanies to the forbidden regions beyond ; only a year after John
Finley had reported that there was not a white man's cabin in all the
enchanting wilderness of Kentucky ; the same year when two great men, both
military heroes in their future lives, were ushered into this world:
Nepoleon and Wellington, whose names and acts have filled the most
important pages in the book of history ; when the seed of liberty, planted
among the granite hills of New England, commenced to show some hope for a
fine sprouting, and father Time wrote upon the mile-posts of eternity,
"1769, the commencement of a brighter day for children of men."
It was on the 1st of July, 1769, that Father Junipero Serro, a Franciscan
monk, and President of the expedition, sent by Spain from Mexico, for the
purpose of re-exploring and colonizing the territory of Upper
California,
after a journey of forty-six days overland, arrived at San
Diego, and
starting immediately to establish the first mission at San Diego as a
permanent settlement of white men, did the first step to introduce the
then almost entirely unknown country of Upper California, comprising our
beautiful State, to be chronicled in the history of the civilized world.
For a full
understanding of the history of Upper California, however, we deem it our
duty to recapitulate in short, chronological order, the historical events
of Lower California and of the coast generally ; going back for a term of
fully two and a half centuries from the aforementioned date, the first
incident that attracts our attention : the discovery of the Pacific Ocean
in 1513, Vasco Nunez de Balboa, a Spaniard, when guided by Indians to the
place upon the heights of Panama, where he, the first white man, was
fortunate enough to add to the great discoveries in his days one of the
highest importance ; taking in sight of the waters "beyond
America," the great Pacific Ocean spread out before him.
That the navigators
of the sixteenth century did not keep in idleness toward this great
discovery, but tried to make it useful to navigation, proves the ill-fated
Portuguese Magellan, who six years after, in 1519, in command of the
Nictoria [Victoria??], started on his famous voyage, which solved the
promblem* of the long sought-for route to the Indies. It was he who gave to
our ocean the name of "Pacific," after having entered it by the
way of the "Ten Thousand Virgins," as he had called it--now
Magellan Straits--here he had been for sixty-three days beating up through
it against tempest and adverse currents, with the tide rising or falling
thirty feet, it is easy to comprehend that the comparatively quiet water
that stretched out before him, urged him to the expression,
"Pacific." This was the first European vessel that ever plowed
the waters of the Pacific Ocean, the first to make the voyage around the
world, returning to Spain three years after starting out, but her
commander Magellan was not between the lucky circumnavigators, he died at
the Philippine Islands.
Fernando Cortez, the
great Spanish conqueror and governor of the Spanish colonies in America,
under date of October 15, 1524, sent to his monarch, Charles
V, a letter
in which he says to be on the approach of entering upon the conquest of
Colima, on the South Sea (Pacific), Colima being now one of the States of
Mexico. He further on gives notice of the existence of an island of
Amazons abounding in pearls and gold, lying ten days' journey from Colima,
he had been informed. In reference to this letter the Jesuit historian,
Miguel Venegas, living about two hundred years later says : "The
account of the pearls inclines me to think that these were the first
intimations we had of California and its gulf." In 1534 Cortez fitted
up an expedition for exploration purposes. A mutiny headed by Ortun Ximenes, the pilot, broke out on board the vessel ; but after the death of
the captain and some of his officers, the expedition under Ximenes'
charge, continuing the search, discovered the Peninsula of Lower
California, and made a landing somewhere between La Paz and Cape St.
Lucas. While on shore Ximenes and twenty of his men were killed by
Indians, the remainder of the crew returned to Chametla, and reported to
have found a country numerously peopled, along the shores of which
valuable beds of pearls were seen.
To test the news of
the mutineers another expedition was fitted up by Cortez in 1536, and
sailed under his own command ; he landed on the 1st day of May, at the
same place where Ximenes had been killed. Here on a bay called by him
Santa Cruz, he established a colony, and sent back his four vessels for
supplies and the remainder of his party. But only one of the vessels ever
returned, the whole other squadron had stranded on the Mexican Coast, a
total loss ; as Cortez, going in search of them himself soon did find out.
Returning to the colony with fresh provisions found the latter in a most
miserable condition, many had died of starvation or overeating from the
provisions he brought with him. The historian Gomara says : "And
Cortez, that he might no longer be a spectator of such miseries, went on
further discoveries and landed in California, which is a bay." And Venegas, the already mentioned California historian of 1758, referring to
the stated passage of Gomara says : "that it likewise proves that his
name was properly that of a bay, which Cortez discovered on the coast, and
used to signify the whole peninsula."
This is the first
appearance of the name California applied to any definite point on the
Pacific Coast.
Cortez soon left for
Mexico, where impending troubles and the fear of a revolt made his
presence necessary ; he gone, the colony, lacking the strong hand of its
organizer, after a few months followed the same example, and Lower
California was again left to the Indians. Of four more attempts of
exploring the Pacific Coast north of Mexico made by the Spaniards during
the century, but the one in command of Juan Rodrignez Cabrillo, in 1542,
was important enough mentioning ; on March 10th, 1543, in latitude 44o,
the coast of Oregon was reached, and then he
returned. After Mendoza, viceroy of Mexico and a friend of the commander,
Cape Mendozino was named ; he also gave the name to the Farallone
Islands,
opposite the Golden Gate.
For a long time it
was believed in England and stated so in most all histories that Francis Drake, one of the boldest and most reckless English buccaneers, who
afterwards was knighted on account of his being the most successful robber
on the high seas, was the discoverer of the Bay of San
Francisco, that in
its waters he had cast anchor for thirty-six days. The fact is, that in 1578
he passed around Cape Horn into the Pacific Ocean, and was the terror of
the Spanish shipping along the coast, plundering under the pretext of
existing war between England and Spain. He captured the East India galleon
on her way home, loaded with wealth, and sailed north with the intention
of going home to England by passing through the fabulous Straits of Anian,
thus avoiding to be attacked by the Spanish fleet, which he knew was
waiting for him off Magellan Straits. That way following his course north,
until he reached about latitude 48o,
though in midsummer 1579, he experienced such cold weather that he was
forced to abandon all hope of a northeastern passage, and returning
entered, on June 17th, 1579, what the accompanying historian
Reverend Fletcher called a "fair, good bay, within thirty-eight
degrees of latitude of the line." This exactly corresponds with what
is generally known as Drake's Bay, immediately behind to the south side of
Point Reyes, where he anchored for thirty-six days, and after having made
a landing, and taken possession of the country for England, Drake started
away for home by way of the Philippine Islands and Cape of Good Hope. At
all events it is now generally conceded that Sir Francis Drake never
entered the Golden Gate, and never discovered that beautiful inland lake,
the Bay of San Francisco, he only is entitled to having been the first of
the European race who landed on the coast of Upper California, as far as
historical record is able to prove.
Another expedition
sailed from Acapulco on May 5th, 1602, under command of Sebastian Viscaino,
who anxious to cause the record of his name in history, passed north along
the California coast and discovered the harbors of San Diego and Monterey,
further on searching for other harbors that could be of use to supply the
East India galleons, he kept his course close under the shore continuing
north. But the mentioning that is made by historian Juan de Torquemada,
who writes in 1615, as follows : "He anchored behind a point of rocks
called 'La Punta de los Reyes,' in the port of San Francisco," means
undoubtedly Drake's Bay, and to connect it with the bay of San Francisco
is based on some mistake. He just saw as little as Drake, or passed
through the straits of the Golden Gate, that connects the Bay of San
Francisco with the ocean, and--after our opinion--it remains doubtful
whether the outlet channel of the Golden Gate was in existence at that
time, or was formed since. Viscaino continued his voyage north and
returned to Mexico 1603.
A message of King
Philip III, of Spain, to his viceroy in Mexico, dated August 16th, 1606,
issues orders for further exploration of the coast and its occupation,
stating his reason therein as follows:
" Don Pedro de Acunno, Knight of the order of St. John, my governor and captain-general
of the Philippian Islands, and President of my royal audience there :
--You are hereby given to understand that Don Louis de Valasco, my late
Viceroy in New Spain, in regard to the great distance between the port of
Acapulco and those islands, the fatigue, hardships and danger of voyage,
for want of a port where ships might put in and provide themselves with
water, wood, masts and other things of absolute necessity, determined to
make a discovery, and draughts, with observation of harbors along the
coast, from New Spain to these Islands."
Thus Monterey was
designated for a supply station to be established there, but the order was
never executed, and no attempt to create any settlement on the coast was
made until 1683, when an expedition under Admiral
Otondo's command was
fitted up to take possession of the country. A landing was made at La Paz,
and this made the headquarters of the expedition. A church was erected and
Father Kino, who was in charge of the religious part of the enterprise,
studying the Indian language, had soon translated into their tongue the
creeds of the Catholic Church. With much effort this work was kept up for
three years during which time they were visited with an eighteen months'
drouth ; but before the colony could recover from this blow, the commander
received orders to put to sea and bring into Acapulco and safety the
Spanish galleon that again was in danger of being captured by Dutch
privateers. This was successfully accomplished, but resulted in the ruin
of the colony and the abandonment of the occupation of California.
After all these
failures to secure a colonization and final occupation of California, the
Spanish Government was not discouraged at all, having acknowledged the
importance of the country, she still was determined not to give up, but
only changed the base of aggression, when soliciting the society of Jesu
to undertake the conquest ; but the Jesuits declined though a premium of
$40,000 to be paid out of the royal treasure was offered to aid them in
the enterprise. And after all, losing this last hope, Spain was enforced
to give up the idea to hold a country which for one hundred and
forty-seven years, since Cortez first took possession of it, had proved a
source of expenditure ; millions had been spent and nothing realized
through all these unsuccessful attempts to occupy a country which always
was believed to be a rival to the legendary El
Dorado. Spain, the proud
Spain, had to acknowledge her defeat, and California was left again to her
native tribes. To give the reader an idea of the vast treasures that Spain
had spent in useless exploring and colonization expeditions of this coast,
we give the figures of the first and last one in detail : the expedition
under Cortez, 1536, footed up to $400,000 and the lst one under Otondo,
1683, had cost $225,400.
But the idea of
acquisition of the country on the Pacific coast did not die out ; it was
not even allowed to rest for a long time. For this time it was a simple
monk, Father Eusebio Francisco Kino, or Kuhn as his name in his native
country was, who, working under a vow, undertook the task which Spain,
then the first power on earth, with all her unlimited means, had been
unable to accomplish. Father Kino on his first visit to California, in
1633, when he was in charge of the religious service of the Otondo
expedition, had made the question an especial study of his life, and
became convinced of the feasibility of his plan, which consisted in the
conversion of the inhabitants, and saving their souls, but not the
conquest of a kingdom.
His plan was to go
back to the country to teach the Indians the doctrine of the Christian
faith, and cultivate them by showing them how to support themselves better
by tilling the soil, and to improve the race on the land and through the
experience of industry ; thus gaining a rich province to final
incorporation with the dominion of the Spanish crown. And with fanatical
ardor immutable, notwithstanding the uncheering and fruitless outlook,
which promised defeat and martyrdom as the probable result, he started on
the preliminary work of his great undertaking on the 20th day of October,
1686, traveling over Mexico and preaching for the cause he represented.
Fortune fol-* followed his steps, and soon he met two
congenial spirits, Father Juan Maria Salva Tierra, the one, and Father
Juan Ugarte, another, who, uniting their executive abilities with his own,
the result was a subscription of sufficient funds to go on with the actual
work. Between the time they had procured a warrant from the King for the
Order of the Society of Jesu, to enter upon the conquest of California at
their own expense, for the benefit of the crown of Spain ; and after
eleven years constant petitioning and urging this warrant, was issued
February 5, 1697.
On October 10th, the
same year, already an expedition, made up of one small vessel and a long
boat, loaded with the necessary provisions, and the rude structure and
furniture for a small church, with this Father Salva Tierra, accompanied
by six soldiers and three Indians, started from the Mexican coast for the
point where to put in operation Father Kino's long-cherished plan, which
point on the eastern coast of the peninsula, they reached on October 19,
1679 ; about the landing Venegas says :--
"The provisions
and animals were landed, together with the baggage ; the Father, though
the head of the expedition, being the first to load his shoulders. The
barracks for the little garrison were now build and a line of
circumwallation thrown up. In the center a tent was pitched for a
temporary chapel ; before it was erected a crucifix with a garland of
flowers. "The image of our Lady of Loretta, a partoness of the
conquest, was brought in procession from the boat, and placed with the
proper solemnity."
On the 25th of
October, formal procession was taken of the country in "His Majesty's
Name," and has never since been abandoned.
The work of
conversion was immediately initiated with explaining the catechism, saying
prayers of rosary and distributing boiled corn to the Indians afterwards.
All went well until the Indians thought that they could have the corn
without prayers ; they formed a conspiracy to kill the garrison and have a
great feast on the 31st, only twelve days after the landing. The Indians,
numbering about five hundred, attacked the fort, but were set back flying
so soon the little garrison opened fire on the masses, after all warnings
and begging to go away by the priest had been responded to by a number of
arrows from the natives. The Indians having been taught respect by means
of the soldiers' guns, begged for peach, and came to church regularly
to get their lot of corn and Christianity.
For Seventy years
those devoted fathers struggled on with their work of conversion, always
using patience and kindness, and teaching by their own example, clearing
ground for cultivation, making trenches to convey the water for
irrigation, digging holes for planting trees, and preparing the ground for
sowing. "In the building part," says Venegas, "Father
Ugarte was master, overseer, carpenter, bricklayer and laborer. For the
Indians, though animated by his example, could neither by gifts nor kind
speeches, be prevailed upon to shake off their unborn indolence, and were
sure to slacken if they did not see the Father work harder than any of
them ; so he was the first in fetching stones, treading the clay, mixing
the sand, cutting, carrying and barking the timber, removing the earth and
fixing materials." And at some other place he relates : "He
endeavored, by little presents and caresses to gain the affections of his
Indians ; not so much that they should assist him in the building as that
they might take a liking to the catechism, which he explained to them was
well as he could, by the help of some Indians of Loretto, while he was
perfecting himself in their language. But his kindness was lost on the
adults, who, from their invincible sloth, could not be brought to help him
in any one thing, though they used to be very urgent with him for pozoli
and other eatables. He was no obliged to have recourse to the assistance
of the boys, who being allured with sweetmeats and presents come to work,
were animated by offered reward, and often enough the father had to make
himself a boy with boys. This enabled him to erect his poor dwelling and
church, and learn their language."
This plan of
subduing the Indians proved to be successful, and remittances for the
support of the missions were only received from Mexico, until the Indians
were Christianized and educated to work, and the missions, with the aid of
the fathers, could support themselves. In the first eight years, there
were six missions established, and fifty-eight thousand dollars expended
therein, the whole amount used for missionary purposed and the support of
the Indians that were subject to them foots up to $1,225,000.
In 1767, the Jesuits
were expelled from the Spanish dominion, and forced to abandon their work
in Lower California ; but they left behind them a record of having paved
the way and solved the problem how to subdue and control the savages ;
they being the pioneers in the culture of planting grape and making wine,
the first vintage having been sent to Mexico in 1706. They taught the
Indians to work on the loom, and manufactured cloth as early as 1707, and
in 1719 launched the first vessel, the Triumph of the Cross, ever
built on California soil, this makes them the pioneer manufacturers also.
Of their number two had to die the death of martyrs, at the hands of the
natives. It had been a part of the original plan of the father Jesuits to
extend the missions on up the country along the coast, until the chain of
connection had been formed from La Paz in the south to those fabulous
Straits of Anian, but they wee not permitted to perfect this plan ; at the
time of their banishment they left for their successors, the Franciscans,
sixteen flourishing missions and thirty-six villages, as testimonials of
the wisdom of their rule.
After the Jesuits of
the Franciscan order of the Catholic Church got possession of the missions
established on the peninsula ; but soon the Dominicans came to the front
with a claim to a portion of them. The Franciscans not hesitating a long
time declared it a class of property that should not be segregated, and
for this reason their willingness to yield the whole rather than a part,
and, eventually, turned it all over to the Dominicans.
When the Franciscans
declared, with such readiness, to give up the possession of the missions
to the Dominicans, it was done with the purpose to start further north and
take possession of the country, up to this time nearly entirely unknown,
but always believed to be the land where legend had placed the gold and
silver mines from whence the Aztecs had taken their treasure.
The Spanish crown,
in full accord with this plan, it having been her object since the report
of the discoveries by Viscaino in 1603, issued an order for the discovery
of the bays on the upper coast and an occupation of the country ; in
response to which order an expedition was fitted up and started in 1769,
under the management of Junipero Serra, a Franciscan monk. The general
object of this expedition is laid down by Joseph de Galvez as being ;
"To establish the Catholic religion among a numerous heathen
people submerged in the obscure darkness of paganism, to extend the
dominion of the King, our Lord, and to protect the peninsula from the
ambitious views of foreign nations." The expedition, it was
concluded, should be divided to be sent partially by sea, the remainder to
go from Mexico overland, by was of the the mort northerly of the old
missions. On account of this, on January 9, 1769, the ship San Carlos
sailed first from La Paz, followed on February 15th by the San Antonio
; the San Joseph sailed last, on June 16th, and that is the last
that was heard from her the ocean had swallowed her together with the
whole crew. The vessels were loaded with provisions, numerous seeds and
grain to sow, farming utensils, church ornaments, furniture and
passengers, and were destined for the port of San Diego. The San
Antonio, after a trip of 24 days, arrived on the 11th of April, having
lost eight of her crew with scurvy. Twenty days later the San Carlos
made her laborious way into port, having lost the whole crew, but the
captain, the cook and one seaman left to tell of the ravages of that
terrible scourge of the early navigators.
That part of the
expedition designated to go overland was also divided into two companies :
Fernando Revera Moncada commanded the one to start March 24th, and after a
journey of forty-one days he reached the place of general rendezvous on
the 14th of May, the first white man to cross the southern deserts of our
State. Then Gaspar de Portala, governor of Lower California, took command
of the remaining part of the land expedition ; with him was the president,
under whose charge the whole enterprise was placed : Father Francis
Junipero Serra, the pioneer of California; they set out on May 15the
from the same point, where Revera had started, and reached San Diego on
July 1, 1769.
|
