The Polynesian. [volume] (Honolulu (Oahu), Hawaii) 1840-1841, 1841-05-08

federal States, the whole of California
ritory," which differed from a State in
this, that it did not have an elective gov
error or legislature, but was under the
immediate control Of the general govern
ment Of Mexico, which appointed its gov
crnor, under the name of commandant-
general and all the subordinate officers.
lin the year 1896, a revolution broke out
in Upper California. On the 18th of No
vcmber, the country was declared to be
independent of Mexico.
The name Of California was for nearly
200 years exclusively applied to the great
peninsula which is now termed Old or
Lower California, and which is arbitrarily
bounded on the north by line drawn
from the gulf of California to the shore of
the Pacific. After the discovery and set
Element by the Spaniards of the country
to the north of the peninsula, and which
was also named California, as being part
of the same tract of coast, and inhabited
by the some race of people, the distinc-
tive appcllations of Upper and Lower, or
New and Old, California became necessa-
ry, and have since beef. universally APP
Piled the peninsula being termed Low
or, as being in lower degree of latitude,
and Old from its earlier settlement.
Old California was discovered in the
year 1884, by squadron fitted out for
the purposes of discovery by Cortes. 1t
was not, however, till many years had
elapsed, and many fruitless attempts at
colonization been made, that permanent
settlement was effected by the Spaniards.
The zeal of the Jesuit missionaries at
length overcame every obstacle, and pos
session was taken of the country about
the close of the seventeenth century,
The whole country explored by the Jesu-
lis, as far north as the 2Sth degree of
north latitude, was thinly peopled by nu-
merous tribes, more or less stationary in
their rude villages or encampments, differ
ing very little in their general habits and
condition, yet sufficiently marked to be
distinguished by fixed names. and speak
ing different languages or different dia-
lects of the same. The best informed of
the Jesuits believed that there were but
three languages decidedly differing from
one another. The peninsula Of CaIfor-
MIA is seven or eight hundred miles in
length, and varies in breadth from 30 to
100 miles, the medium breadth being from
SO to 60 miles. 1t consists of an irregular
chain of broken groups of bare rocks, and
hills interspersed with tracts Of sandy
soil nearly as unproductive. The greatest
height of this mountain ridge is less than
5000 feet. In some sheltered spots
where the soil has been left safe from the
torrents, there is fertile mould; but
such spots are very rare, and of small eX-
tent Water is also very scarce. 1t
would seem as if the action of the heavy
rains from the central ridge Of rocky hills
and the encrOachments of the ocean on
both its shores, had gradually washed
away the mould and soil from its surface,
except where it was of such ponderous
quality as sand, or where it was penned
up by barrier of rocks on all sides. The
fertility of the sea, however, seemed to
make amends for the barrenness of the
land. The shores of California abound
in the greatest variety of excellent fish.
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