The morning call., 1890-09-10

Spanish officers were wont to while away the
weary hours Of their camp life.
This romantic fiction, together with the story
of the Amazonian isle, which was related to
CorteZ In Mexico, TO which the former prob bly,
gave rise. and the belief that the country was an
Island not far distant from the Indies, undoubt-
eddy suggested the name OF California.
BY whom the name was applied seems to be
question of some doubt.
1t does not appear that JimeneZ, WHO disc0v.
cred the peninsula which was supposed TO be an
island, applied any name to IT,
CorteZ, who subsequently landed at the same
place as bis predecessor with a colony. does not
seem to have used the name In any of his writ
inss.
FIRST MENTIONED.
The first mention OF the name of California
occurs In PreciadO's diary Of the voyage Of
Ulloa, when 1t was first discovered that IL was a
peninsula.
The colony planted by Cortez was a failure,
and 1t is not improbable that the name was APP
piled ironically by some OF the disguised colon
lists on their return.
The name thus applied to the peninsula or sup
posed Island was subsequently used 10 designate
The country extending indefinitely northward.
After the failure Of number OF expeditions
the Spanish Government acknowledged its utter
inability TO settle California.
at last 1t had recourse 10 the spiritual power
OF the Jesuit missionaries, and where the sword
had been vaDquished the cross was triumphant.
1t is not unlikely that If the soldiers OF the
cross had not raised once more the standard
which had been lowered by the Spanish crown,
that California would have fallen prey 10 some
other European power and might never have be-
come one OF tue States OF tDlS GLORIOUS mon.
few years afterward when the Jesuit mis-
sionares were succeeded by the Franciscans,
they had converted the entire people OF the PEN
insula and established chain OF missions from
Cape San Lucas to the Colorado.
Over two centuries had passed since Cabrillo,
the Spanish explorer, had entered the waters OF
Upper California, never before disturbed save
by the Indian canoe.
Since the voyage of Viscaino. made sixty years
afterward, no ship had entered the northern
waters from the south, and the Spaniards had
done nothing toward founding settlement on
the Coast.
The existence ana location OF the ports OF San
Diego and Monterey and the old port of San
Francisco, under Point Reyes and the general
trend Of the coast. had been known to them Tor
years.
FEAR OF ENCRoACHMENTs.
Suddenly the fear of foreign entertainments
caused partial awakening from this apathy,
and the Government at once determined TO
occupy Upper California.
The Accomplishment Of this resolution was en-
trusted to the franciscan missionaries. who dis
played The same untlring zeal and exhibited the
same spirit OF sefdenal that had been shown
by the Jesuit missionaries In Lower California.
The leader OF the Franciscans WAS Father Juni-
perr0 Sierra.
The results accomplished by this missionary
priest for the Indians of California have placed
Golden State.
After founding the first mission of Upper Cali.
fornia at San Diego the brave missionaries
pushed on to Monterey.
Tben they reached that port and looked out
over the waters of the bay In search Of which
they had come so far. They failed to recognize
II, and passed on wondering where IL was.
In pursuing the search from The summit Of the
hills, they behed the great inland SEA stretching
as far as the eye could reach. aud thus 1t was,
while searching for the port of Monterey, that
European eyes first beheld the waters of San
Francisco Bay.
II was a most remarkable fact that, nOtwith-
standing the many voyages that had been made
in its vicinity that this beautiful bay should re-
main so long undiscovered.
IL seemed as II a magic veil had been drawn
across the Golden Gate. screening the OaV from
the eyes OF the Spanish navigators
The old port Of San Francisco under Point
Reyes had beeu known to the Spaniards for
many years.
1t was their intention to found the mission OF
st. Francis at that port, but when they found
they could not 20 TO San Francisco by reason of
the Intervention OF the Golden Gate they decided
that San Francisco should come to them, and
accordingly they transferred the name south