Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1865-11-13
HISTORICAL DISCOVERY.
An Original Chronicle of the Early Settle
ment of California

The San Francisco Bulletin says In turning over
some antiquated books and papers at the Mission Of
Santa Barbara, in 1861 the Rev. Father in charge of
that establishment found an old manuscript memo
rial on the earliest times in California in the hand
writing of Father Junlpero Serra which had been
laid away since the year lIT3. How it got into the
Santa Barbara Mission, which was not founded till
l1S6, two years after the old trars death. is now
the arbitrary conduct of Pedro Fages, who was Gov
ernor of the colony from 1852 to 1870. there is
doubt that the Mexican government suppressed its
publication at the time Junipero's biography, by
Palous. was printed at Mexico in 17S7. Indeed,
pertaining to this lost c6roncie are very briefly and
gingerly alluded to, and consequently 1t is of real
value III making clearer the early history of Cali
tornia.
The memorial consists Of twenty three pages folio
and is addressed to Don Antonio Buccarili Niceroy
of Mexico. 1t is dated by Father Junipero from the
college of San Fernando in Mexico city, the 2lst of
May, 177, and it seems it was written at the special
request Of the VcerOy who was an earnest friend Of
the California missions and coOniss further set
forth in papers still preserved in the
chives of the country, 1t appears from this paper
latng to the principal events between 1863 and the
year l773; when Father Junipero returned to Mex
leo to report progress to the government and the
college, and to procure additional missionaries SOL
diers, and pecuniary supplies. that there were in
l773 not over forty soldiers in the following first
established foundations: SAM Santa Marie de los AN
in California las the peninsula was still denomi-
nated, and San Diego, San Gabriel. San Luis Obspo
among the Tichos tribes; San Antonio and Carmelo,
termed then the Monterey establishments; for it
not until after 1870 that the Spaniard began to de-
signate this country separately Alta California In
consequence of the great numbers of wild Indians,
Junpero modesty asked for force of eighty soldiers
and two pieces of cannon to protect the infant colo
nes, in place of one hundred men, which had been
proposed and not until close of the century,
when the missions numbered eighteen and the mill
tary posts presidos four, that than two hun
dred soldiers stationed in the country extending
from San Francisco to San Diego.
The seven missions named were presented each 80
head of cattle by order of the king, enumerated by
Junipero as q bulls cows, and calves, and these
266 animals were the progentors of 100000 head of
cattle owned by the missions at the secularizaon in
1S33 after deductng the thousands used for food and
for hides and taow in lapse of 43 years after 1880.
Mention is made of hogs, horses, mules, goats, and
sheep, but in no book account we have seen is the
number stated at their first introduction.
THE settlements of Carmelo, San Antonio and San
Louis Obispo were easily established. The Indians
were found very docile and submitted readily to the
government of the priests. San Diego among
a branch of the fierce Yumas from the Colorado, and
there missionary was killed and the buildings
burnt. San Gabriel. two hundred and ten miles from
San Luis 0bspo, and one hundred and twenty from
San Diego was then the only city of refuge in all
that immense stretch of country. 1t was commenced
in Ill. Junpero asserts this region to be the finest
country he had yet seen, and with SOIL climate, wood,
water and pasture capable of maintaining all the
seven missions established up to the date of his me-
morial and subsequent history has proved the truth
funess of his assertion"