THE SPANISH SETTLE IN CALIFORNIA

By Josiah Royce.

IN addition to being a recognized authority on the early history of California, and the author of "California from the Conquest in 1846 to the Second Vigilance Committee in San Francisco,"the fame of Professor Royce is world-wide as a metaphysician and philosopher. As an historian he was prominent in what is known as the Cabrillo National Movement, which some years ago established as a memorial to the pioneer Spanish explorer, Juan Roderiguez Cabrillo, at Point Loma, California, a tract of land containing 21,910 square feet within the Fort Rosecrans reservation, of historic interest as the spot where Cabrillo first landed on our Pacific Coast.

That was in 1542. In the subsequent mission period of sixty-five years it is significant that over 80,000 Indians were converted, at least $1,000,000 worth of buildings were erected in the wilderness, and that stock and wheat raising was developed on an astonishing scale.

THE settlements of the Spanish missionaries within the present limits of the State of California date from the first foundation of San Diego in 1769. The missions that were later founded north of San Diego were, with the original establishment itself, for a time known merely by some collective name, such as the Northern Missions. But later the name California, already long since applied to the country of the peninsular missions to the southward, was extended to the new land, with various prefixes or qualifying phrases; and out of these the definitive name Alta (Upper) California at last came, being applied to the territory during the whole period of the Mexican Republican ownership.

As to the origin of the name California, no serious question remains but that this name, as first applied, between 1535 and 1539 to a portion of Lower California, was derived from an old printed romance, the one which Edward Everett Hale rediscovered in 1862, and from which he drew this now accepted conclusion. In this romance the name California was already before 1520 applied to a fabulous island, described as near the Indies and also "very near the Terrestrial Paradise." Colonists whom Cortez brought to the newly discovered peninsula in 1535, and who returned the next year, may have been the first to apply the name to this supposed island, on which they had been for a time resident.

The coast of Upper California was first visited during the voyage of the explorer Juan Cabrillo in 1542-43. Several landings were then made on the coast and on the islands, in the Santa Barbara region. Cabrillo himself died during the expedition (on January 3, 1543) and the voyage was continued by his successor, Ferralo, who sailed as far north as 42 . The whole undertaking resulted in some examination of the coast line as far as Cape Mendocino, and in a glimpse of the native population that lived along the southern shores of the present State.

In 1579 Drake's famous visit took place. During the latter half of June and nearly the whole of July of that year he remained in what "The World Encompassed" calls a "convenient and fit harbor" (about 38 30'), where the ship was grounded for repairs, and where the expedition had considerable intercourse with the natives.

One of the accounts complains, in extravagant fashion, of the chilly air and of the fogs of the region, and, in general, we get information from the accounts about the "white banks and cliffs, which lie toward the sea," and hear about what we now know as the Farallones, the rocky islets that lie just outside what we call the Golden Gate. While the other details of the stories, as given, are obviously in large part imaginary, there can be no doubt that Drake did land near this point on the coast, and did find a passable harbor, where he stayed some time.

It is, however, almost perfectly sure that he did not enter or observe the Golden Gate, and that he got no sort of idea of the existence of the great Bay; while for the rest, it is and must remain quite uncertain what anchorage he discovered, although the chances are in favor of what is now called Drake's Bay, under Point Reyes. This result of the examination of the evidence about Drake's voyage is now fairly well accepted although some people will always try to insist that Drake discovered the Bay of San Francisco.

The name San Francisco was probably applied to a port on this coast for the first time by Cermenon, who, in a voyage from the Philippines in 1595, ran ashore while exploring the coast near Point Reyes. It is now perfectly sure that neither he nor any other Spanish navigator before 1769 applied this name to our present bay, which remained utterly unknown to Europeans during all this period.

The name Port of San Francisco was given by Vizcaino, and by later navigators and geographers, to the bay under Point Reyes, characterized by the whitish cliffs and by the rocky islets in the ocean in front of it. The coincidence of the name San Francisco with the name of Sir Francis Drake is remarkable, but doubtless means nothing. Christian names are, after all, limited in number ; and those who applied this name to the new port were Spaniards and Catholics, while Drake was a free-hooter and an Englishman.

In 1602-3, Sebastian Vizcaino conducted a Spanish expedition along the California coast. He visited San Diego and Monterey bays, saw during his various visits on shore a good deal of the natives, and in January 1603, anchored in the old Port of San Francisco under Point Reyes. From this voyage a little more knowledge of the character of the coast was gained; and thenceforth geographical researches in the region of California ceased for over a century and a half.

With only this meager result we reach the era of the first settlement of Upper California. The missions of the peninsula of Lower California passed, in 1767, by the expulsion of the Jesuits, into the hands of the Franciscans; and the Spanish Government, whose attention was attracted in this direction by the changed conditions, ordered the immediate prosecution of a long-cherished plan to provide the Manilla ships, on their return voyage, with good ports of supply and repairs, and to occupy the northwest land as a safeguard against Russian or other aggressions.

For the accomplishment of this end the occupation of the still but vaguely known harbors of San Diego and Monterey was planned. The zeal of the Franciscans for the conversion of the gentiles of the north seconded the official purposes, and in 1768 the Visitador General of New Spain, Jose de Galvez, took personal charge at La Paz of the preparation of an expedition intended to begin the new settlement in the north. The official purpose here, as in older mission undertakings, was a union of physical and spiritual conquest, soldiers under a military governor cooperating to this end with missionaries and mission establishments. The natives were to be overcome by arms in so far as they might resist the conquerors, were to be attracted to the missions by peaceable measures in so far as might prove possible, were to be instructed in the faith, and were to be kept for the present under the paternal rule of the clergy, until such time as they might be ready for a free life as Christian subjects.

Meanwhile, Spanish colonists were to be brought to the new land as circumstances might determine, and, to these, allotments of land were in some fashion to be made. No grants of land in a legal sense were made or promised to the mission establishments, whose position was to be merely that of spiritual institutions, intrusted temporarily with the education of neophytes, and with the care of the property that should be given or hereafter produced for this purpose. On the other hand, government tended to regard the missions as purely subsidiary to its purposes, the outgoing missionaries to this strange land were so much the more certain to be quite uncorrupted by worldly ambitions, by a hope of acquiring wealth, or by any intention to found a powerful ecclesiastical government in the new colony. They went to save souls, and their motive was as single as it was worthy of reverence.

In the sequel the more successful missions in Upper California became, for a time, very wealthy; but this was only by virtue of the gifts of nature and of the devoted labors of the padres.

Thus began the career of Spanish discovery and settlement in California. The early years show a generally rapid progress, only one great disaster occurring, the destruction of San Diego Missions in 1775, by assailing Indians. But this loss was quickly repaired. In 1770 the Mission of San Carlos was founded at Monterey. In 1772, a land expedition, under Fages and Crespi, first explored the eastern shore of our San Francisco Bay, in an effort to reach by land the old Port of San Francisco. This expedition discovered the San Joaquin River, and, unable to cross it, returned without attaining the object of the exploration.