The record-union., 1897-07-06
CALIFORNIA HISTORY.
FIRST VISITORS TO THE LAND
AND THEIR CRUELTIES.
Establishment of the Missions by
the Franciscan Priests-Charac-
acter of the Spanish Occupa-
tion-How California Became a
Part of the United States.

IafC or the united states.
The following article on the early his
| tory of California, taken from the
| Christian Endeavor souvenir book just
issued by the State Board of Trade, is
| from the pen of D. r. Sessions:
! ROMANCE IN THE NAME CALL
FORNIA
Various speculations have been put
| forward as to the origin of the name
| of California There is little doubt,
| however, that it was derived from
| Spanish romance entitled 'Sergas de
| Espladian," published as early as 1920,
and brought to light again in 1862
through the researches of Edward Ev-
erett Hale.
The California of that story was
| fabulous island lying ION the right
hand of the Indies. very near to the
! terrestrial paradise. It was peopled
with black women, without any men
among them, because they We're accus-
! toned to live after the fashion of the
Amazons. Their arms We're all Of gold,
and so were the caparisons of the wild
beasts which they rode after they had
tanned them, for in the island there
was no other metal
The name was applied first to Lower
California. Mexico probably by Cortez,
before any knowledge whatever had
been obtained concerning the country
which the world now knows almost ex-
clusively as California. The romance
that it embodies turns upon the Anna
| IONS of the pretty fiction, but as to the
flq pa h0 nf he
legend it crystallizes a present material
fact.
Etymology suggests nothing descrip-
tive of the country to which the name
is applied. Caliente and fornella, the
Spanish for hot and furnace, may be
fairly blended grammatically, and may
aptly portray some burning island in
the Indies. but not the real California,
which is the real terrestrial paradise
FIRST MENTION BY ENGLISH
WRITER'S
It was not until 1859 that Sir Francis
Drake paid his famous visit to Cali
fornia. THE World Encompassed''
tells of much that he observed, and OF
some things that, persaps, he imag-
ined. Vancouver, who made his first
voyage in 1892, was surprised that so
small a force of soldiers could keep in
awe SO many thousands Of natives.
Cavendish appeared in these waters for
the first time five years before Van
| cOuver. In his report to the Lord
Chamberlain he says: 'I navigated
| along the coast of Chile and Peru and
Neuva Espania (New Spain, where
made great spoils. I burned and sank
nineteen sail of ships, small and great.
All the villages I landed at I burned
and spoiled Woodes Rogers, the next
English buccaneer in this order, was no
less terrible than Drake and Cavendish.
But he was either a poor observer or
lacked the knack of telling. His voy-
age might have passed without record
but for his rescue of Robinson Crusoe.
Shelvlocke followed Rogers, a few
years later, in to Porto Seguro by Cape
St. Lucas, where he gathered some gilt
tering sand, being assured that it car
ried gold. Analysis revealed only the
glitter. Rogers did make a discovery,
however, which he chronicled as fol-
lows: 1T is in a manner certain that
the natives cannot be practiced in any
sort Of labor, except that of hunting
and fishing"
VISIT OF SIR FRANCIS DRAKE
Half Of June and nearly all of July
Sir Francis Drake remained in harbOr
not more than two miles north Of the
Golden Gate, that is, in about 3S de-
grees 30 minutes, where he grounded
his vessel for repairs. He took care to
put up a stout fOrtification at once. to
protect himself against the natives He
soon found out, however how ground
less We're any fears of Californian saw
ages Simple creatures, they were
friendliness and humility personified,
in the presence of their wonderful Wis
itors. The whole neighborhood, men,
women and children, focked down to
the shore to see them. The warriors in
token of instant submission, laid down
their bows and arrows, while the wom-
en-, to convey the same idea, shrieked
pteously, tore their flesh and cast
themselves repeatedly and violently
against the rocks and stones. The men
advancing, placed a feather crown on
brakes head, threw wampum strings
around his neck, and with song and
dance hailed MIN as their hioh, chief
Whatever Sir Francis may have real
ly thought these actions meant, he will
ingly accepted the proffered scepter
and sovereignty over vast territory,
and took formal possession on behalf
of the Queen. He made a short ex-
cursion into the country, and reported
the green slopes covered with big fat
deer and other game. It is not un-
likely that the big fat deer referred to
were elk, which at 8. later date, but
still in the early history Of California,
were found in droves not very far from
brakes camp under Point Reyes. He
recounts no adventure with bears
hence it may be inferred that he did
not see grizzly.
OCCUPATION OF THE MISSION
FATHERS.
In 1869 four expeditions were dis
patched from Mexico to San Diego Bay.
two by land and two by sea. After a
good deal of suffering and delay, all
four of the parties arrived, and on July
10Th the Mission Of San Diego was
founded. and the nucleus of the oldest
city of California established
These expeditions We're military and
ecclesiastical combined. The head and
soul of the ecclesiastics was the Fran
ciscan priest, Junipero Sierra, a priest Of
exalted character whose enthusiasm
fell little but short of inspiration. For,
crippled and scarcely ever free from
pain, he labored right on zealously up
to his death, as though unconscious Of
the infir1nities of his body.
The plan Of the Francscans for con-