This page needs to be proofread.
668
LOCAL ANNALS OF MONTEREY DISTRICT.
garded as permanent settlers. The ex-neophyte Indian population decreased from 3,500 to 1,740, of which number about 1,020 lived in communities, or at least near the ex-missions. Many vessels anchored in this port each year, as has been noted elsewhere in marine lists and commercial annals, where the visits and adventures of different voyagers have received sufficient attention; but several of these visitors have published their observations, and of these I have deemed it well to quote descriptive portions relating to Monterey,[1]
- ↑ Monterey, descriptions by visitors, town improvements, etc. 1834. A voluntary contribution to be requested from each vessel for the construction of a wharf. This vol., 380. 1835-8. See view of Monterey in Forbes' Cal. 1834-5. 'Monterey, as far as my observation goes, is decidedly the pleasantest and most civilized-looking place in California. In the centre of it is an open square, surrounded by four lines of one-story buildings, with half a dozen cannon in the centre, some mounted and others not. This is the presidio or fort, entirely open and unfortified... The houses, as everywhere else in Cal., are of one story, built of adobes ... of a common dirt-color. The floors are generally of earth, the windows grated and without glass, and the doors, which are seldom shut, open directly into the common room, there being no entries. Nearly all the houses are whitewashed on the outside. The better houses, too, have red tiles upon the roofs. The Indians do all the hard work. The men in Monterey appeared to me to be always on horseback. Nothing but the character of the people prevents Monterey from becoming a large town.' Dana's Two Years, 89-93. 1836. 'The town is a scattered series of houses, containing not more than 500 inhabitants, among whom are 15 or 20 foreigners, Americans and Englishmen, engaged in trade.' Ruschenberger's Narr., ii. 403-4. June 1st, Gov. Chico orders the administrator of Sta Cruz to cut and send him a tree 20 varas long for a flag-staff. Savage, Doc., MS., i. 23. 1837. 'Monterey I found as much increased as S. Francisco had fallen into ruin. It was still, however, very miserable, and wanting in the military air of 1827. The adobe or mud-brick battery remained, and had been newly bedaubed during the late ebullition of independence.' The fortifications, of which plans must not be taken, 'consisted of a mud wall of three sides, open in the rear, with breastwork about three feet in height; with rotten platforms for 7 guns, the discharge of which would annihilate their remains of car- riages.' But the author got few supplies, and was not in a good humor. Belcher's Narr., i. 136. 'Tout se présente sous l'aspect le plus neuf, et tel enfin que l'on peut imaginer qu'ont dû le voir les premiers découvreurs. En approchant de la pointe Vénus on commence cependant à distinguer par- dessus les roches une éminence sur laquelle est érigé un mât de pavillon ou l'on abore les couleurs nationales. Tout à côté, est le corps-de-garde d'une batterie à barbette de 8 canons, que l'on nomme le Castillo ... Pen après avoir aperçu la pointe du fort on découvrira le fond de l'anse on l'on verra d'abord dans la partie de l'Est, le clocher de la chapelle du Presidio, ainsi que les bâtiments qui en dépendent et qui sont tous renfermés dans la même en- ceinte; puis successivement et à mesure que le bâtiment avancera, ou décou- vrira dans l'Ouest du Presidio des maisons éparses cà et là, sans aucun ordre; elles forment, par leur réunion, ce que l'on nomme la ville de Monterey, sans doute par déférence pour le siége du gouvernement; il semble inutile d'ajouter qu'il n'y a aucun autre monument que l'église du Presidio. Parmi ces mai- sons, dont le nombre s'élève tout au plus de 40 à 50, plusieurs sont blanchies à la chaux, quelqus-unes ont un étage et une certaine apparence de conforta-
