Portugal, France, and Spain. In the year 1767, they were expelled from California, and the country becoming a Mexican province, the missionaries were superseded by Franciscans, and the civil authority of Mexico was extended over the settlements. The missionary stations on the peninsula were, at this time, sixteen in number. Dominican friars took the place of the Jesuits, and, pursuing a far different policy towards the natives from that carried out by their predecessors, soon destroyed the confidence of the inhabitants, and frustrated the plans for their improvement, before so promising. The Indians of Old California are, at the present day, few in number, and still in the condition of the savage.

Turning their attention from the barren mountains of the peninsula to the extensive and fertile region of Upper or New California, the Franciscans, with the aid and countenance of the Marquis de Croix, viceroy of Mexico, founded a settlement at San Diego, in 1769. From this station, a party was shortly after sent to explore and take formal possession of the country further north. They proceeded by land as far as the harbour of San Francisco, upon which they bestowed its present appellation, and returned to make report at San Diego, in January of the following year.

This exploring party had been specially commissioned to establish a settlement upon the bay of Monterey, but upon the journey they failed to recognise that locality from its description by early voyagers. A few months subsequent to their return, the service was accomplished by another expedition, under direction of Father Junipero Serra. A portion of the adventurers proceeded by sea, the voyage-from San Diego to Monterey-occupying no less than forty-six days; another party made the journey in a less space of time, by land, and were found by the voyagers, engaged in building and other preparations for a settlement. "On the 31st of May," says Serra, "by the favour of God, after rather a painful voyage of a month and a half, the packet San Antonio, commanded by Don Juan Perez, arrived and anchored in this horrible port of Monterey, which is unaltered in any degree from what it was when visited by the expedition of Don Sebastian Viscayno, in the year 1603."

The missions in Upper California received special patronage from the Spanish crown, and a large fund was raised for their support, in Mexico, by voluntary contributions of the pious. Many valuable legacies were also funded for this purpose, and the temporal affairs of the enterprise were, for a series of years, in a prosperous condi

tion. The spiritual progress of the Indians was, however, by no means in conformity with the great apparent success of the missions. The influence and authority of the ecclesiastics was established throughout the line of coast-their head-quarters being at San Diego, Monterey, San Francisco, and San Gabriel-but their influ ence appears to have availed little towards the actual improvement or civilization of the natives. The church acquired extensive titles to the more valuable lands, and, instead of favouring the immigration of whites, threw obstacles in the way of colonization by civilians. The clergy, content with a nominal or outward compliance with the forms of their church, preferred to retain their undivided supremacy over the natives, and feared the consequence of the introduction of free settlers.

They did not attain this commanding position without first enduring great hardships and suffering, and exposing themselves to continual personal danger. Their property, in the early days of the missions, was pilfered by the natives on every occasion, and, from time to time, they were forced to resort to the "secular arm" in defending their lives against hostile attacks. Upon one occasion, a large body of Indians fell upon the settlement at San Diego, and, after a hard struggle, were driven off by the handful of whites there in occupation. They shortly after sued for peace, and begged the Spanish surgeon to visit and assist those of their number who had been wounded in the conflict. This aid was cheerfully and readily afforded.

Upon the general overthrow of the old order of things, at the period of the Mexican revolution, the privileges and powers of the Californian hierarchy were curtailed, and its resources in Mexico cut off by sequestration of the sums appropriated for the salaries of the priesthood. Measures were also taken to effect an emancipation of the natives, but so completely incompetent did they appear to the management of property, and so much disposed to return to the savage life of their forefathers, that it was judged expedient, for the time, to allow matters to continue much in their old position. The church in California was, at this period, so amply endowed by monopolies, and the acquisition of real estate, that it was no longer dependent upon supplies from abroad.

A movement was afterwards set on foot in Mexico, for the furtherance of colonization in California by the entire removal of the missionaries, and a sequestration of their lands and effects. A law

was actually passed for this purpose, in the Mexican congress, and great numbers of emigrants, allured by the favourable offers of government, were soon en route for the land of promise. All their expectations failed upon the attainment of Santa Anna to political supremacy. His regard for the interests of the church, or his policy of securing the favour of so powerful a portion of the community, induced him to take immediate steps for the protection of the property and privileges of the Californian priesthood, and, in consequence, to check the progress of immigration.

CHAPTER XXI.

EXPLORATION OF NEW CALIFORNIA: COLONEL FREMONT'S SURVEY OF THE SOUTH PASS: OVERLAND EXPEDITION OF 1843-4: THE GREAT SALT LAKE: RETURN ROUTE: TERRIBLE PASSAGE OF THE SIERRA NEVADA: CAPTAIN SUTTER'S SETTLEMENT: SUBSEQUENT EXPEDITIONS OF FREMONT. -THE GOLD DISCOVERIES IN CALIFORNIA.

THE adventurous expedition of Lewis and Clarke first gave to the world any satisfactory account of the character of the wilderness intervening between the western settlements of the United States and the Pacific sea-board. Before the accomplishment of their remarkable journey, all that was known of that territory was gathered from the Indians, and from the white traders, or trappers, who had penetrated the country in different directions, and at different times.

A long interval elapsed between this first achievement and the undertaking of any systematic survey of a practicable route for emigrants. In 1842, the services of the Hon. John Charles Fremont, who was at that time commissioned as a lieutenant in the United States' corps of topographical engineers, were called into requisition for this purpose. He had been previously engaged in the prosecution of surveys in the north-western territory, and his instructions, at the time of which we are now speaking, were to make an examination of the country, and to report upon an advisable route from the frontier settlements of Missouri to the Great South Pass-then

considered the most practicable, if not the only available passage through the Rocky mountains.

With a company of twenty-five men, principally Canadian or Creole voyageurs, under the guidance of Christopher Carson-then familiarly and extensively known at the west, and now of worldwide celebrity, as "Kit Carson"-Fremont took his departure from a post a few miles above the mouth of the Kansas river, on the 10th of June. The party was provided with eight carts, drawn by mules, for the transportation of camp-equipage, surveying instruments, &c., and four oxen were taken for provision. The men were all mounted, and well provided with arms.

The line of march lay north-westerly from the Kansas to the Platte, a distance exceeding three hundred miles, which was traversed in sixteen days. Following the course of the South Fork, the party reached Fort St. Vrain, at the eastern foot of the Rocky mountains, on the 10th of July, one month from the day of departure. They arrived at the South Pass near the middle of August, and entered at once upon the principal business of the expedition. By accurate astronomical observations, the true position of this important passage was laid down; scientific investigations of the geological formation of the country were made; and a correct survey of the whole locality was carefully prepared. The information brought back by the expedition, and widely disseminated through the press, by act of congress, was of inestimable value to those embarking upon the adventure of overland emigration to the shores of the Pacific.

The exploring expedition, under Commander Wilkes, returned, as before mentioned, in the month of June (1842). In addition to an accurate survey of the north-western coast, expeditions inland had been undertaken by those connected with the enterprise, both in Oregon and California; and it was considered desirable to connect the results of these observations with those established by the exploration of the South Pass. Colonel Fremont was again commissioned by government as commander of the expedition proposed.

The Great South Pass lies immediately in the direct line of travel from Missouri to the Columbia river; but it was hoped that a route might be opened further south, which would present less formidable obstacles as a general thoroughfare. The party collected for this service consisted, in all, of forty men, numbers of whom had shared with Fremont the fatigues and hardships of the preceding

year. They set out upon their perilous journey on the 29th of May, 1843.

"A detour through the mountains brought them upon the waters of the Bear river, which they followed to its debouchement into the Great Salt Lake. In a frail boat of inflated India-rubber cloth, a partial survey was effected of this remarkable phenomenon of nature, concerning which the only knowledge before obtained had been from the wild reports of the Indians, and hunters who had occasionally visited it. Little did the adventurous explorers dream of the change that a few years would bring about upon those remote and desolate shores. The party left their camp by the lake on the 12th of September, and, proceeding northward, reached the plains of the Columbia on the 18th, 'in sight of the famous Three Buttes, a well-known land-mark in the country, distant about forty-five miles.' "In the month of November, having reached Fort Vancouver, and fully accomplished the duties assigned him, Colonel Fremont set out on his return by a new and dangerous route. Nothing but a perusal of the journal of the expedition can convey an adequate idea of the dangers and difficulties attendant upon the remainder of this enterprise, in which the complete circuit was made of that immense and unexplored basin lying between the Sierra Nevada and the Wahsatch, or Bear river range of the Rocky mountains; a region thus laid down in Fremont's chart: 'The Great Basin: diameter 11 of latitude: elevation above the sea, between four and five thousand feet: surrounded by lofty mountains: contents almost unknown, but believed to be filled with rivers and lakes which have no communication with the sea, deserts and oases which have never been explored, and savage tribes which no traveller has seen or described.""

This journey of more than three thousand miles, through a wilderness inhabited only by roving Indians, and in the face of the most appalling natural obstacles, called forth the exercise of heroism, fortitude, and bodily endurance, of which few men would be found capable. The passage of the Sierra Nevada, which occupied several weeks at the close of the winter and in the early spring, was the most dangerous and trying achievement of this unparalleled march. In the midst of snow and ice, pushing their way by an unknown route through stupendous mountains, in uncertainty as to the for tunes of each succeeding day, and suffering the extremes of destitution and exposure, the hardy adventurers pressed forward with