Carson daily appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1873-1877, 1873-08-12

| Santa Barbara with a preside OF fort and
subsequently to establish the mission
| which is still maintained here by de-
tachment OF bare footed Frlars. Point
| Conception forms the northern or north
western boundary, Point Santa Buena-
| ventura the southern or southeastern line
| and the three islands between these two
! points {San something, / have forgotten
their names, keep eff the swell and
ocean winds Of the South Pacific. Get
out your geography and you will under
stand the points Of the compass as l
have given them.)
When III San Francisco l went to Ro-
mans and bought copy os Dana S
Two Years before the Mast" Ca book
which when first published in 1910 came
along Just in time to feed an appetite
which had been duly tickled by Robin
son Crusoe and which 1 devoured with
all the gusto of lad who was always
threatening TO offset the paternal birch
ings with glowing. understanding
threat to run away and so to sea.l l
bought this new edition of a very excel
lent work in order to read myself up on
the early times of this coast; and am
therefore enabled to make this interest
ing extract describing the Santa Barbara
of 1885:
Two points ran out as the horns Of the cres-
cent, one of which-the one to the westward-was
low and sandy, and is that to which vessels are
obliged TO give wide berth when running out
for southeaster; the other is high. bold and
well wooded, and has q Mission upon it, called
Santa Buenaventura. from which the point is
named. In the middle Of this crescent, directly
opposite the anchoring ground, lie the Mission
and town of Santa Barbara. on a low plain, but
,vSrw-A H1.- % =,
grass. though entirely without trees, and sur
rounded on three sides by an anlphitheater of
which slant vt to the distance of
fifteen or twenty miles. The Mission stands |
little back Of the town. and is large building
o. rather collection Of buildings. in the center Of
which is high tower, with . belfry of five |
bells. The whole, being plastered, makes quite |
show At a distance, and is the mark by which |
vessels come to anchor. The town lies little |
nearer to the beach.-about half a mile from it |
and is composed of one story houses built of |
sua-baked clay. or cdo5e, some of them white |
washed and with red tiles their roofs. 1 !
should judge that there were about hundred |
Of them; and in the midst of them stands the /
Preside. or fort, built Of the same materials |
and apparently but little stronger. The town
IS finely situated, with a bay in front and an /
of hills behind. The only thing
which diminishes its beauty is, that the hills |
have no lsrSe trees upon them, they having
been all burnt by great fire which swept them
IN about dozen years ago. AID they had not
yet grown again. The fire was described to me
BY Al inhabitant as having been q very terrible
md magnificent sight. The air Of the whole
'alley was SO heated that the people were
obliged TO leave the town and take up their
quarters FOR several days upon the beach.
This is what sir. Richard H. Dana,
T., seaman. had to say about it in 1885
-thirty-eisht years ago. In day or
wo the undersigned Will tell you Of his
Impressions regarding the Santa Barbara
# 1873. NJ.