general scope and fundamental importance is the work of two
men, Hubert H. Bancroft and Theodore H. Hittell. The former has
published a _History of California, 1542-1890_ (7 vols., San
Francisco, 1884-1890), also _California Pastoral, 1769-1848_ (San
Francisco, 1888), _California Inter-Pocula, 1848-1856_ (San Francisco,
1888), and _Popular Tribunals_ (2 vols., San Francisco, 1887). These
volumes were largely written under Mr. Bancroft's direction and
control by an office staff, and are of very unequal value; they are a
vast storehouse of detailed material which is of great usefulness,
although their judgments of men are often inadequate and prejudiced.
As regards events the histories are of substantial accuracy and
adequacy. Written by one hand and more uniform in treatment and good
judgment, is T.H. Hittell's _History of California_ (4 vols., San
Francisco, 1885-1897). The older historian of the state was Francisco
Palou, a Franciscan, the friend and biographer of Serra; his "Noticias
de la Nueva California" (Mexico, 1857, in the _Doc. Hist. Mex._, ser.
iv., tom, vi.-viii.; also San Francisco, 1874, 4 vols.) is no longer
of importance save for its historical interest. Of the contemporary
material on the period of Mexican domination the best is afforded by
R.H. Dana's _Two Years Before the Mast_ (New York, 1840, many later
and foreign editions); also A. Robinson, _Life in California_ (New
York, 1846); and Alexander Forbes, _California: A History of Upper and
Lower California from their First Discovery to the Present Time_
(London, 1839); see also F.W. Blackmar, "Spanish Institutions of the
Southwest" (_Johns Hopkins University Studies_, 1891). A beautiful,
vivid and reputedly very accurate picture of the old society is given
in Helen Hunt Jackson's novel, _Ramona_ (New York, 1884). There is no
really scientific separate account of mission history; there are books
by Father Z. Engelhart, _The Franciscans in California_ (Harbor
Springs, Michigan, 1899), written entirely from a Franciscan
standpoint; C.F. Carter, _Missions of Nueva California_ (San
Francisco, 1900); Bryan J. Clinch, _California and its Missions: Their
History to the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo_ (2 vols., San Francisco,
1904); Francisco Palou, _Relacion Historica de la Vida ... del Fray
Junipero Serra_ (Mexico, 1787), the standard contemporary source; the
_Craftsman_ (Syracuse, N.Y., vol. v