Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-08-21
NOMENCLATURE.
ORIGIN AND TRANSLATION OF
CALIFORNIA NAMES.
derivation Ciassified-Bibiical and
Honorary Names-A Descrip-
tive List-An Incident.

In a paper recently read by E. L. Will
Jams, the author, on The Nomenclature
of Early California, before the Athen;eum
Society of Santa Cruz, he Classics the
origin Of the names of places in four
divisions, namely: Honorary, Scriptural,
descriptive and Indian. The honorary
names, says Mr.. Williams, are few in num-
Der in California, consisting, so far as
known, of only three. Mendocino is the
first in chronological order. Cape Mendo-
elmo was discovered by Juan Rodriguez
CabriIlo during the month of December
in the year 1890 years ago. Cabrillo
was the first Spanish navigator on this
coast. and he named the cape he di5cov-
cred Mendocino, in honor Of the then
Viceroy of New Spain, afterwards called
Mexico.
AnotherViceroy was favored By Sebastian
Viscaino. also one of the early yoyagers,
who anchored in the bay at the opposite
shore of Santa Cruz on the 10th day of De-
cember, 1902, two hundred and Gighiy-four
years ago, and named the place Monterey,
to honor the Vicer0y under whose orders
and patronage Viscaino made his voyage
Mr. Williams says: The writer, during
his early DAYS in California, when residing
at Monterey, endeavoTed by inquiry of
those whom he supposed ought to know, to
ascertain the origin of the name Monterey,
and he was informed b. several old resi-
dents that it was q con- pound word, being
monte (mountain) and reg (kingl, or king
mountain. This explanation was not salts
factory, however, and goes to show how
In Of r. hi Of
California by foreigners long resident in
the country"
The word Monterey is derived from the
words monte forest and reg tking). No
doubt the original was, monte del reg, forest
of the king, the forests nat lie back of the
site of the town being referred to.
. The name Of Branciforte in Santa Cruz
county is thus traced by Mr.. Williams
" In the year.1795 Spain had commenced
the founding of a colony adjacent to Santa
Cruz, Just beyond the other end of the
bridge that spans the san Lorenzo, and the
name of the new founding was matter of
some import So the Commissioners APP
pointed to select the place for a new colony,
after having done so, concluded to call it
Branciforte; but first obtained permission
from the Viceroy of Spain to honor him i'll
that way. The original document pertain
ing to the matter, and the reply of the Mar
quis Branciforte, Viceroy OF Mexico mot of
new Spain as formerly, dated January %,
1897 conceding the use of his name, may
yet be found among the Spanish archives
in San Francisco"
Scriptural names are common, having i'll
most instances, no doubt, been given by the
missionaries. Such names attach to many
tracts of land granted by the Spanish or
Mexican Government, the following being
only specimen list Las Virgenes, The
Virgins (allusion to the foolish Yirgins)
San Pedro, Holy Peter; Laguna de la
MERGED, Lake of Mercy; San Pablo, st.
Paul Las Llagas, The Wounds ION the
Cross; Santa Ana, st. Anna San Vim
cente, st. Vincent San Francisquito, st.
Francis (dimunutive]; San Dieguito, st.
James (diminutive); San Augustin. St.
Augustine; Canada de San Miguel, St.
Michaels Ravine; Santa Maria. st. Mary
Tomas del Espiritu Santo, Hills of the
Holy Ghost; Santa Ana Quien Sabe,
Santa Anna and Who Knows; Las Cruces,
The Crosses; Jesus Maria, Jesus Mary; Val
| lecitos de san Marcos. st. Marks Small
| Valleys; Bolsa de San Felipe,
Holy Philips Pocket of Land
San Luicita, st. Lucy (diminutiye) Cabeza
de Santa Rosa, Head of Holy Rose; San
Benito, Holy Blessed; Rio de Jesus Maria,
Jesus Marys River; San Pedro V Gallinas,
Holy Peter and Chickens; San Juan Bau-
| tista, st. John the Baptist.
| In the cases Of the following, descriptive
names were employed: Toro, Bull Las
| Posas, The Wells; Cueros Gel Venado, Deer
| Skins; Pescadero, The Fishing Place; Sau-
salito, Small Willow; Ojo del Coche, Pigs
| Eye; Arroyo de las Nueces, Nut Creek
Punta de Pinos, Pine Point Vale Despo-
blado, Deserted Valley; Punta de Cipreses,
| Cypress Point; La Soedad, Solitude Sal
| ipquedes, Get Out if Thou Canst; Los
Alalnitos, The Small Elms; Paso de Bar
tolo Vfejo, Old Bartolo's Pass; Mon
te del Diablo, Devils Hill or Thiclet
Laguna SEGA, Dry Pond Las Arenas.
Pleasant Odors Aqua Caliente, Hot Water;
Los Gatos, The Cats; Laguna de las Gala
basas, Calabash Pond; Cienega de las Ra-
mas, Frog Swamp; Ell Conejo, The Rabbit;
Pincates, Tumble Bugs; Piedra Blanca,
| White Stone Poso de los Osltos, Little
Bears Well; Rincon de la Balena,
Whales Corner; Canada de la Brea, Pitch
Ravine; La Pastoria, Pasturage Ground
Arroyo Grande, Big Greek.
| OF the origin of the word Pajaro, from
| which a river and valley take their name,
Mr.. Williams says that some time ago.
while reading the diary of Junipero Sierra
came to where the missionary spoke of
giving the bank of the stream scrip
tural name. He had with him an es-
cort of soldiers who would also
name the different places of note, and
not being religiously inclined, they would
generally adopt descriptive name. They
found upon the bank very large, and to
| them a strange bird, which had been killed
| by the Indians and left there partly
| stuffed. So they named the stream Pajaro
or Bird river. This was upon a Saturday
the 14th day of October, 1862 1t has re-
tanned the name ever since.-San Jose Her
aid.