sposed saint; no one of
his cannon is in condition to fire a single shot, and his troops are
cautious of venturing into actual conflict: he fights with words only. I
would not therefore refuse to his fortress the courtesy of a salute, but
was much astonished at not finding my guns returned. An ambassador from
shore soon solved the mystery, by coming to beg so much powder as would
serve to answer my civility with becoming respect.

As soon as we had dropped anchor, the whole of the military left the
fortress without a garrison, to mingle with the assemblage of curious
gazers on the shore, where the apparition of our ship seemed to excite
as much astonishment as in the South Sea Islands. I now sent Lieutenant
Pfeifer ashore, to notify our arrival in due form to the commandant, and
to request his assistance in furnishing our vessel with fresh
provisions. The commandant himself, Don Martinez Ignatio, lieutenant of
cavalry, had been summoned to the capital Monterey, to attend Congress,
and was absent; his deputy, the second lieutenant, Don Joseph Sanchez,
received my envoy with much cordiality, and referred in a very
flattering manner to my former visit to this port, in the ship Rurik.
Don Sanchez was at that time a brave subaltern; but had since, under
republican colours, risen in the service. He promised to lend us every
assistance in his power, and proved his friendly intentions by an
immediate present of fruits, vegetables, and fresh meats.

As our accounts of California are few and defective, a rapid glance at
the history and constitution of this unknown but beautiful country,
richly endowed by Nature with all that an industrious population could
require to furnish the comforts and enjoyments of life, but hitherto
sadly neglected under Spanish mis-government, will probably not be
unwelcome to the readers who have accompanied me thus far: I will
therefore, on its behalf, defer, for a short space, the account of our
residence here.

The narrow peninsula on the north-west coast of America, beginning at
St. Diego's Point, under thirty-two degrees of latitude, and ending with
the promontory of St. Lucas, under twenty-two degrees, was first
exclusively called California; but the Spaniards extended this
appellation to their more recent discoveries on this coast towards the
north; since which, the peninsula has been named Old, and the more
northern coast to the Bay of St. Francisco, in thirty-seven degrees
latitude, New Cali