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Xlioiiipsoii H.A.N-TA ROSA: .SONOMA nEMOCHAT IHTIU-TSH IN^O COMI'AXV 1 HOO /JV, 3 36 7^^ I M' o ■o 4) U) 3 O 03 CO c .5 c ■a o - The Kussiciiis ill California 55- "OS (MIAPTKR I Tlic Ht')ry of till' rapid coii- <|U»'Ht (;i Sil)ei'iii, hegimuiif^ with tlio lulvance of Vcrniak, tlie rohbor <'iiiof, aoroHH tlie Ural mountains in the sixteenth century, ending with th(! discovery of the northwest <'oast of America hy Adniinil I'ehring of the liusdian navy, is one of the most remarkahle achievements in the concjuest and ()ccui)ation of a country in the annals of history. Hehring discovered the fur seal ,Hs well as the proximity f)f the Asiatic and American continents. In the course of time the rumors of the discoveries reached the Europe- an ciipitals of Ijondon and Madrid. It hiid a long way to travel ovtu'- land to St. Petersburg. Once started, the rumors soon rea<'he(lthe ^inirp eai's of the diplomatists and were pn-nritly reported to their Jiome governments. The rcsnlt was the fitting out of Captain Cook's expedition for dis- coveries in that (piarterby the Eng- lish, a like expedition from Mexico l)y crdcr of tlie King of Spain. In the iOnglish expedition came the first pioneers of American peo- ple to the Pacific coast: John Led- yard, a native of Coiniecticut, and Captain .John Oore, a native of Virginia. The latter, on the death of Captain (!ook at the Hawaiian islands, took conunand as the rank- ing oflicer, and returned with the fleet to England. We omit thecnmi)lications which arose between Engbind and Spain over their respective claims on the northwest coast of America, the outgrowth of tliese early voyages, and return to the Russians, with whom we have directly to deal. 'I'he charter of the Russian- American company gave them some extraordinary privileges, which, in fact, included the government ni the country, and it soon ai)sorbed all the various independent associ- ations and became supreme on the northwest American coast. A bold and enterprising adven- turer named Shelekof, a man of great executive ability and energy, was mainlv instrumental in organ- AI.EXANOER lUliANOFF APPKAHS izing the Russian-American Fur Ootnpany. He selected for the head of the monopoly he had cre- ated Alexander Haranoff. Haranoff was a striking tyj)e of the strong race from which he sjirang. He started life as a clerk in a retail store in Moscow. This offered no field to a spirit so adventurous as his. He went to Siberia in 17.S(), He was actively engaged in husi- ness when 8helekof put him at the liead of his company, and he never displayed better judgment than in this selection of an agent. Haran- off was energetic, daring, politic on occasion, and bold as Civsar when holdness was needed. He could ex- ecute the plans of others, and with equal ability could conceive and execute ])lans of -his own. His in- fluence over the Russian was un- limited, and he ruled not only the natives but his more unruly coun- trymen of the lowest class who were sent out to him. He was a small man, under average in size, with blue eyes, a bald head and sallow complexion. He was diplo- matic and could siiape words for a flexible meaning, and wiien he wanted to could make tiiem as di- rect as a rifle ball aimed point- blank. Vov instance, he wrote to his compaii}' " Send n)e a priest well-informed, wim is a peaceable man, not suspicious and not biggot- ted."' For tiie rest, lie was in the habit of getting on periodii^il sprees on hot rum, in wbicli he generiilly involved cvcrvbddv ;u'(iund Iiis "castle" before he got through, hut they never interfered with his busi- ness. (,)ne of the most notable of the events of his life was the building out of American timber and the launching of the first American- built vessel on the northwest coast. It was named the Pho-nix by Har- anoff and was floated in August, 17!t4, and afterwards made regular trips between the American and Asiatic coast. Starting about the same time, the Russians had crossed and occupied Siberia, had crossed Behring sea and occupied tiie American coast and established communication with Asia by a ship built of Amer- ican timber, before the English moving on the Atlantic coast iiad yet more than reached the Mississ- ipjii river. Nothing could better illustrate the push and drive of the people of this mighty nation now pressing, if it has not already attained, the iirst place ann)ng ail Fiiropeaii and Asiatic powers. With this much by viy of intro- duction, we will relate in detail the even more daring o( . uoaiion by order of liMraiioff of the territory of California, miuI it was undoubt- edly his intention to hold itagainst i's then owners for all time, and his successors would have done so but for the i .nely promulgation in 18'2.'>of the Monroe Doctrine which gave notice to all the world that no ticciipalion of .\mevic:in territory I r: «^ J» VON HKSANOF IN CALIFORNIA liy Eiiropeiiii powers would l)o tol- erated by the United States. This i)riiu'i])le was finally and forever settled iis far as llussia was concerned in its treaty with the United States of April 17, 1824, in which Russia agreed from thence- forth to establish no settlements on the American continent or any ad- jacent islands south of the parallel of 54.40. This treaty, though the Russian settlement in ('alifornia was not mentioned, involved its abandonment and put an end to any further Russian encroachments in California. The Russian American Fur Com- pany had now concentrated all the fur interests of the northwest coast under the direction of Baranoff. They occupied all the Aleutian Is- lands and made a permanent settlement on the American coast. It was destined to play a large part in the history of (falifornia, as we shall see. CHAl'TICK II. The first event which may b" con- sidered as leading to the settlement of the Russians at F-irt Ross, was the sailing from Sitka on March 8th, 1S0(), of Chamlierlain Uesanof, of the Russian-American Fur Com- pany, on the ship Jjno (formerly an American vessel) bound for Cal- ifornia on a, trading voyage. Re- fore Resanof's return to Sitka he seems to have determined to make a settlement somewhere on the California coast where hiscom|Kiny could carry on agriculture, and trade with the Californians. It was deemed unnecessary to ask permis- sion of Spain, as Spanish authority north of San Francisco Ray was not recognized by the Russians; and the Russian government had already authorized the company to extend Russian sovereignly as far south as possible without infringing on the rights of other nations. Resanof v.'as ambitious. lie hoped to eventually ac(iuire for his country all the territory from San Francisco Bay to the Ct)lumbia river. The important mission of locating the site for the future set- tlement was intrusted to Kuskof, who by order of Raranoff sailed on the Kodiak, and after touching at Trinidad, arrived at Bodega Bay (always called l)y the Russians Port Rumiantsoff ) on .January 8th, 1809. Here the Kodiak remained at an- chor until August. After carefully exploring the surrounding country, some temporary buildings were erected, some otter and beaver skins Avere procured and friendly rela- tions were establisiied with the Indians. Cn August 2'Jtb Kuskof sailed for Sitka, and ujwn his arrival was al)le to report favoral)ly concerning the country. He !.ad found a fine climate, good tillable lands, plenty of fish and fur-bearing animals and a tolerable harbor. And as the country was entirely unoccupied by luiropean or .Vmerican settlers, the conditions were favorable for the *% ,1 -1 T ' t i 4 KUPKOF AUHIVKS AT RODKOA ! I colonj'. 80 the Czar of Russia was l)etitione(l to open nej^otiations witli Spain with a view of a treaty al- h)wing trade with New Albion, as Northern California was then called. And he was also asked to give the settlement the protection of the Russian government in case of opposition by the Americans. And this protection, it is said, was promised by the Czar; while, as to trading with the Californians, the com{)any were told to make such terms as they could. Upon re- ceiving this encouragement, Kuskof atteni))ted a new expedition to Bodega, but was unsuccessful, for while stoiiping at tiueen Char- lotte's islar.d, he was attacked by Indians and was compelled to re- tur!i to 8itka. In 1811, Kuskof again sailed for ISodega in the schooner Chirikof and upon his arrival he at once re- newed liis explorations in the en- deavor if possible to find a better place than Hodega at which to establish his head(in;irters and l)uild his fort, lie found a place, sixteen miles by water north of I'xxlega, called by the Indians .Mad- shuinui where, thtiugh there was no l.ind-loeked bay, there was ex- cellent anchorage, and good pro- tection from all summer winds; and he found that all other ad- vantages, such as soil, timber, water and pasturage were much better than at iindegn. The valley of tlie Slavianka (Russian River) was examined for fifty miles but no place was found that compared favorably with Mad- shui-mui, so after a thorough in- vestigation of the whole country, Mad-shui-mui was chosen and work was commenced at once. The site selected was a table- land about KK) feet above the ocean and containing something over 1000 acres and was according to Russian observation in latitude 88' 33' longitude 123' 1-')' (our coast pilot puts it now in hit. 38' 30' long. 123' 15' ). The friendshii) of the native chiefs was secured by making them presents and the Russians claim, anil it is ])robal)ly true, that the country was ceded by the Indians to the Com- pany There were at this time ii; the Russian Colony, 1*5 Russians, including 25 mechanics. There were also about 80 Aleuts with a fleet of 40 bidarkas (skin boats). Tiie Aleuts were sent out to hunt otter along the coast, but with in- structions to n<)t enter San Fran- cisco Hay, for it was oest at this time not to offend the Spaniards. The Russians prepared timber for several months and when all was ready the Aleuts were recalled to aid tl'.e mechanics, anil all went to work on the fort and other neces- sary buildings. And in a few months a fortified village had arisen on the shore of New .Albion. In the fort were mounted at first oiiiv twelve cannon, l>ut the num- ber of cannon was increased to about forty in after years. All was (loiujileted early in September and MORAflO IS SENT TO nOSS V ! t on Septemher 10th, or August 30th of the Ilnssian calendar, the name (lay of Emperor Alexander, the establishment was formally dedi- cated with great festivity and named Ross from the root of the name Russia, a word extending far back into antiquity. As to the exact original meaning of the word Ross there seems to be a difference of opinion, but it is certain that the people of the Volga were formerly called Rus, and the Russians generally were called the people of Ross, and the country is 3'et called Rossia or Russia. About this time there was dis- tributed over California a procla- mation issued by the Russian American Fur Company and ad- dressed to the people of California. It wasa very conciliatory document and was intended to make friends of the Californians, and thus ad- vance the interests of the Russians. But it seems to have done no good, for the (!alifornians were jealous of their own rights and suspicious of foreigners. Thus it was that the Russians, in less than a year's time, found themselves lirmly planted in (;alift)rnia without have ing met with any resistance from tile Indians or Spaniards. The .Spanish were cognizant of what was going on at Ross, but were en- tirely unable to prevent it. Uut in August, just before the dedication of Ross, Commandanet Argut'llo, of San Francisco, sent AForaga, "a .Spani.sh officer," with seven men, to Ross to investigate. Moraga re- turned September 1st and reported that the Russians had built a fort protected by artillery, and appar- ently intended to remain. Moraga was courteously received by the Russians and was allowed to make a complete inspection of the fort. Morago was again gent to Ross, in January, 1813, when he conferred with Kuskof about trade. He was made acquainted with the plans of +he strangers and returned January 27th. Arguello communicated to the Viceroy the result of Morago's two visits to Ross. There is nothing in the Spanish record to show that the (lovernor or Commandante of California ever gave the Russians permission to settle in the country or even consented to trade with them without the Viceroy's permis- sion. Meantime, the Viceroy had learned that the Russians had set- tled on the coast, and in July he wrote to Arriaga instructing him to watch the strangers. He did not fear hostilities from the Russians, but feared that they were not what they seemed. They might be con- nected with Anglo-American de- signs upon Calitornia. Three weeks later, on receipt of Arriaga's letter, the Viceroy again wrote, enclosing the treaty between Russia and Spain, and instructing the Com- mandante to notify Kuskof that his occui)ation of Californian territor3' was a (ilear violation of the treaty, and requesting him to immediately remove his establishment. A DESCUIITIO.V OF THE SKTTI.FMRNT OF KOSS CHAPTER III. Meanwhile the llussiiins were to he eloyely watclied, iiiul the militavy iiuthorities of the peninsuhi ami also of the interior were to hold themselves in readiness to furnish aid in case of an en)ergency. These communications reached California early in 1814, and in A])ril Mora<;a was a third time sent with an es- cort to Ross with letters in which Arriaga made known to Kuskof the Viceroy's instructions. The Russian commander declinetl togive a definite answer until he could hear from his superior, Baranoff. t^o he waited until June hefore ans- wering, and then he answered, that as he did not fully understand tlu' (Spanish letters, he could nf)t act of- ficially upon them. Tiiese letters were (^arrieil tidly until only about. 500 could be caught annuiiUy. Still the Rus- * Fnirr -RDffi KHOM A SKETCH RY CII.LKY sians kept five or six Aleuts at tlie Islands to kill sea-lions and {jjiills and gather eggs for use at Iloss and Sitka. Annually about from 5000 to 50,000 gulls and about 200 sea- lions were killed. Of the latter, the meat was salted for use, the skins were used for making boats and the bladders were ,nade into watertight sacks, and the blubl)er was tried out for oil, both as food and for lamps, as the hunt for otter became less and less profitable. And a.-5 ol>stacles interfered with success in the way of trade, the agents of the comi)any turned their attention more and more to iiome industries at Ross. Agriculture was naturally one of the most im- portant of these industries. A con- sideral)le quantity of dried beef, leather and butter was sent to Sitka after the home wants were suj)plied and at last the company had 2000 cattle, 1000 horses and 1000 sheep to sell with the estab- lishment. The first livestock was obtained from the Californians, l)Ut not without difficulty, as trade was prohibited. There was scarcely any article of wood, iron or leather which the mechanics of Il().ss could not make of a quality surticiently good for the California market, and to the very last they received fre- quent applications from the Span- iards. Several l)(iats were built for tiie Spanish oflicers or friars. Tim- lier and tiles were sent north and south and e\en to the Sandwich Islands, i'ine pitch was sent in large quantities to Sitka in barrels, which, like those used for butter and meat, were made at Ross. Four vessels of respectable di- mensions were built at Ross be- fore 1824 and three of them, the Ruldakof, Volga and the Ki- akta, the reader meets in southern ports., CHAPTER IV. In 1821 Kuskof died and was suc- ceeded in command by Karl Schmidt. Schmidt died in 1828, Jn 1828 Duhant Cilley, a French- man who was making a tour around the world in his yacht, arrived at Ross, lie made a sketch of the place as he found it. He reported finding here all the luxuries used in Europe but unknown in other parts of California. He gave a de- tailed description of the orchard and the fpuce around it, etc. Vessels continued to arrive at San Francisco, two or three a year, from Ross and Sitka, with goods to trade for grain and other articles which could be procured from the Spaniards. In 1881 the Russians made an attempt to extend their agricultural possessions south-east- erlj' but they desisted on account of the strong opposition of the Cali- fornians. In 18,S'2 (Jovernor Figu- roM was instructed to report in de- tail on the force maintained by the Russians and the probable iiUen- tions of the strangers. He was also ordered to establish settlements in the north to check farther encroach- ments. Ill 1.S8.8, Figuroa sent AI- WHAN'OKM, H AKRIVAL AT KO«» .9 M feres Vallejo to Ross to purchase arms, imiiiitions ami clotliiiig for the Californiaii sohliers and at the same time to secretly acquaint himself with the exact conilition of affairs. Vallejo carried letters to manager Kctstromitinoff and to Wrangell whom it was thought inight have arrived. These letters were filled with expressions of friendship and good-will and of a desire for closer friendship and commerce with those highly es- trampled upon the laws of nations and aimed at territorial encroach- ment. WrangoU was expected at lloss to found a new settlement at .Santa Rosa, and with the same ohject in view the desertion of the neophytes of San Rafael is being encouraged. Wrangell finally arrived at Ross and employed Hartnell as an agent to ohtain cargoes of produce and if possible to secure certain conces- sions in regard to the payment of Kurt KfiKs iu IvJs, from a skt'tcli liy JJiilmnt <'illey. teemed neighbors, the Russians. The manager of Ross was also urged to use his influence with the <-'za" to promote <'ie recognition of Mexican independence. Vallejo succeeded iu purchasing the requir- ed articles at Ross and on March oth made his report. Two days later Figuroa wrote to the national government at Mexico ■denouncing those highly esteemed neighbors as intrudere wlio liad duties. Wrangell also wrote to Figuroa a letter in which he warm- ly defended his country against the charges of the English navigat- or, Beechey. charges which he de- clared to be without foundation to the effect that Russians had griev- ously wronged the Californians by killing otter illegally', by engaging in contraband trade, and even tak- ing 'j.ossession of the Santa Barba- ra islands. Other foreigners had % 10 WKANORM. S KKIITI.RSS MISSION TO MKXICO certainly done tliese tilings, but the Russians never. In 18o() maiuiger Kostromitinoff was succeeded by Alexiuider Rot- chef. The ex-uianager seems to have succeeded Ilartnell as agent of the company at Sun Francisco. He obtained from the (iovernor of Cal- ifornia a permission to erect a ware- house for his company on any site which he migiit select. With Cap- tain Richardson's consent he decid- ed to build at Sausalito. Hut before any use was made of this concession the deputation took up the matter and decided that the governor had no i)ower to grant such a privilege, and that it was not expedient to allow a foreign company to secure such a foothold in a Mexican \)OTt. Accordingly, in r'ej>tember, (iutier- res issued an order that no building should be erected. Subsequently, in 1831>, Rotchef petitioned for the privilege of building a warehouse at Yerba Buena, but the conces- sion was not granted. During this ))eriod Sonoma was founded as a pueblo; and several citizens, chiefly foreigners, were i)er- mitted to occupy ranchos on the northern frontier, all with a view to check the apprehended advance of the Russians. Again, in lS3'.t, Vallejo warned the Mexican government of danger from the Russians which might l)e averted only by an increase of the force at Sonoma. In 1837 Ross was visited by Slo- cum and in 1838 by jjaplace, each of whom published a description of the place. .Meanwhile Governor Wrangel) was very anixous to ac- (piire more territory to tiie south and east of Ross. He wished to extend his possessions at least to San Francisco Bay on the south and to Sacramento on the east, and if this was to be done it must be done at once, as the most favorable time had already passed. If this territory should be occupied against the wishes of the Californians it would not only anger them but would be sure to meet with strong opposition from foreign j)owers. So W'rangeir.s best plan was to con- ciliate the Californians. lie wished to present farther and in a stronger light, as the Russians had been do- ing for years, the danger of en- croachment by other foreigners, especially the Americans. Also the marked contrast between the past cona ict of his people and those of other nations, and the manifest ad- vantage of preferring such friendly and orderly neighi)ors, rather than the horde of turbulent adventurers who were sure to get i)ossession of the northern frontier. Wrangell wished to go to Mexico in person to secure from the author- ities of the republic at once a ces- sion or sale of the desired territory. 'I'ne company having approved his l)!an and agreed to pay for the establishments of San Rafael and Sonoma, in case .Mexico would con- sent to cede the territory, the Baron resigned his position as Governor HrAri,i)rN'(i stauts kou san i<'itA.\('isco U riplion of (iovei'iior us lo ac- he HOUth viHhed to t leant to he south east, aiul must be favorable , If this jcl against irniaiis it Llieiii but th strong 1 powers, •as to con- le wished a stronger 1 been do- er of en- Foreigners, Also the I the past d those of mifest ad- h friendly ther than Iventurers ^session of to Mexico he author- )nce a ces- I territory, proved liis y for tiie lafael and vould con- the Haron Governor of the American Colonies and ob- tained permission to return to Rus- sia by way of Mexico, witii author- ity to represent the Colonial (lov- ernnient in negotiations with the Republic of Mexico. With his in- structions came a successor to Wrai.gell in the person of Ivan Iluprianof and tlu; ex-govornor sail- ed at once. After his arrival at Mexico he with some difliculty ol)- tained an interview with Vice-Pres- ident Marragau and other high oflicials, but he could accomplish nothing, as the Mexicans would not entertain the lirojiosition to cetle any territory on any terms. CHAPTKii V. With the failure of Wrangell's mission the company decided to abandon Ross, and they at once began to seek a jjurchaser. At a conference between lluprianof and Douglas of the Hudson Bay Com- pany, a proposition was made to sell Ross for $3(),00(). "Of course," writes Douglas in his journal, "they cannot sell the soil but merely the improvements, which we can only hold through a native." An an- swer was to be given in the autumn after a consultation with McLaugh- lin. Rut the English company de- cided that the ])urchase was not desirable as it would very likely displease the Californians and would probably cause serious com- plications with the United States. This negotiation having failed, the comi)any next tried Alverado. The governor asked for farther in- formation as to the nature of the property offered and made haste to inform the .Mexican governi-.ient of the impendir.f^ change and a long correspondence ensued, but no trade resulted. The American ship, i^au- sanne. Captain .Josiah 8paulding, coming down from (-'olumbia in July, 18-10, believing Hodega to be a free port, belonging to Russia, thought he might land his passen- gers there and perhaps accom|)lish something in the way of trade with- out paying anchorage dues or other duties. Tlie Russians had never before permitted such operations and on this occasion it seems that Rotchef told Spaulding that he must not trade nor go by land to San Francisco as he had intended. But ]{otchef then went to Monterey, leaving the Lausanne at Bodega, and the captain, crew and passen- gers were free to do as they pleased as there was no Russian guard nearer than Ross. So Spaulding also started for San Francisco with Mcintosh as a guide. Four of the passengers went to Sonoma to ask Vallejo for pass-ports which should enable them to remain in the coun- try. Vallejo was naturally startled at the appearance of the armed for- eigners, with the news that Bodega was practically abandoned by the RussiaTis and that a foreign vessel was lying there free from all re- strictions in respect of contraband trade or of landing passengers. He immediately despatched Alferes n TirK LAUSANNE SATt.S AWAY Laziiro I'iiiii and a guard of sol- diers to lUidega witli instructions to re-enibark all j)t>rsons who had landed and to enjoin upon those in charge of the vessel to land no goods on ])enalty of being treated as smugglers. As Monterey was the only port open to foreign trade, i'ina was to remain at his post, prevent all traflic and intercourse, keej) a strict watch and report. Subsequently he was directed to collect tonnage dues on the Laus- anne at the rate of $1.50 per ton. Hpaulding, accompanied by several persons from San Francisco who were traveling without passi)orts, called at Sonoma on his way to Ho- dega. His companions were not al- lowed to proceed and the captain was called upon to pay his tonnage dues. He declined to do so on the ground that Bodega was a free port belong- ing to Russia; but after discussion he agreed to pay the demn' d if it should be declared lawful by the proper authorities. He was then al- lowed to depart with an order to Pina to return to Sonoma as soon as the vessel had sailed. As Spaulding had cited the manager at Ross in confirmation of his claim that Ro- dega was a Russian port, Vallejo in- structed Pina to state clearly to Rot- chef that Bodega belonged to Mexico and not to Russia though the use of it by Russian vessels had been toler- ated. That the commander at Ross had no control of it, except by per- mission of the Californian govern- ment, that he had no right to find it strange that Californian trooj)s were stationed there.especially when he was in the hal)it of traveling in the country without a permit and in disrespect of the frontier authori- ties; and of representing to visitors that Bodega was a free port, and of taking the liberty to permit foreign- ers to enter the country in defiance of law. Meanwhile llotchef came back from Monterey and was lilled with wrath when he found the sol- diers on guard and saw a copy made by a sul^ordinata, in his ab- sence, of Vallejo's instructions to I'ina. He was violent and insult- ing in his anger. He raised the Russian flag, defying the Californ- ians to pull it down, and offered his protection to the foreign i»ass- engers who went with him to Ross. I'ina made no resistance, but re- ported to V^iUejo. The latter sent a communication on the ir)atter to Rotchef and another to be forward- ed to the Governor at Sitka. But Rotchef refused to receive the doc- uments. Vallejo subseijuently is- sued an order forbidding Rotchef or any of his men to travel in the country without a license. Tlie Lausanne sailed away al)out .luly 2Gth, leaving five or six foreigners who were aided by the Russians to reach Sacramento. Pina by Val- lejo's order did not attempt to inter- fere beyond warning Rotchef that he would be held responsible for the entrance of the men. Much more angry correspondence followed, but it is not important at this late day. 4 '5? JOHN A. HITTKU IMIiCHASKS TIIK HKTTI.KM KNT IS ifin ti'oopH oially when nivelinn in permit and ier authori- ; to visitors )ort, and of nit foreij;n- in defiance tchef came I was filled lul the 8()1- iw a copy in his ah- 'uctioiis to md iiiKult- raiwed the B Californ- nd offered ■eign ])a8.s- ni to Ross, ■e, hut re- latter sent matter to le forward- itka. JUit 6 the doc- [uently is- g Kotchef vel in the >nse. The l)out July foreigners usftians to I hy Val- )t to inter- tchef that l)le for the [uch more lowed, hut 3 late day. In .January, IS II, \'iillcjo report- ed to till! minister of war concern- ing his controversy with llotclief. lie took much credit to himself and mentioned as a result ol that con- troversy, the proposed ah.mdon- ment of itoss. The Russians had consulteil him as to their right to sell to a private person the l)uil(l- ings as well as tiie live-stock, and he liad told them that the mition had the first right and must he consulted. The reason wiiy this cautious answer was given was tli;it some foreigners from tiic ("oluml)ia or elsewhere might out'nid a citizen of California anil thus rai.se a ipies- tnin of sovereignty which might prove trouhlesonie to the Jle.xican interests in the future. Vallejo also urged the """ern- ment to furnish a garrison anil au- thorize tlie planting of a colony at Ross upon its ahandonment hy the Russians. In Fchruary, Kostroni- itinoff, representing the company, offered to sell the pro[)erty to \'al- lejo himself for .t;](),()UO, [layahie half in cash or in hills of the Hud- son Hay Company and half in produce delivered at Yerha Ruena. Tlie general was willing to enter- tain tlie proposition hut could not make.' definite answer until .July or August, as he must have author- ity from his government. When the answer came from Me.\ico it was not a satisfactory one, as the ^le.xican government seemed to think that the Russians luid heen frightened away and would leave a iloiu'ishing settlement to lie taken l)ossession of hy the Oalifornians as soon as they were g(.ne. So N'allejo received some useless in- structions ahdut the details of the occu|iation iind the form of govern- ment to l)e estahlished at Ross. fn .lidy, Kostromitinoff, having returned from Sitka, an elaJporato inventory was n)adeof the i)roperty offered. Vallejo and .Mverado were again approached hut they ahsolulely declined to purchase, as they had concluded that the prop- erty should and would revert to tlie ( •alifornians and that no other purchaser could he found. Alvera- do stated in a letter that liis ordy fear was that the Russians would hurn the huildings rather than let them fall into the hands of the ('alifornians. Hut there was an- other purchaser, John A. Sutter. The hargain was made in Septein- lier. The formal contract was signed hy Kostromitinoff and Sut- ter in the office of the Subprefect at San I<'rancisco, with Voiget and Leese as witnesses, on December 18, 1.S40. CHAPTER vr. Hy the terms of the contract Sutter was to pay for the i)roperty B})ecified in the inventory, .$oO,()00, payable in installments. The es- tablishment at New Helvetia (Sac. ramento) and the property at Bo- dega, and the two ranches of Khleh- nikof and Tschernich, "whicli prop- erty was to be left intact in pos- session of the company's agents," AN IWKNTOUY iridval)le property lioiinlit liy Sutter which Cduld he utilized. Kveu sev- eral df the newest iiouses were taken down and moved. The one eannon left at l{(iHH wuH taken to Saera- mentd and was finally donated hy Sutter to the California pioneers. About 4,()()() head of eat tie, liorses andsheej) weredriven overland, and one old Indian vviio assisted in the driving is still to be seen oceasion- ully lit HosH. Hose, as it was called by the Russians, was always called by the Spaniards Kl Fuerte de Los liusos or Fuerte Huso, and by the Americans who afterwards settled in California Fort Koss, and as this old settlement is a place of nnich interest and is annually •, is- ited by hundreds of people from all parts of the country, it may lie interesting to give a brief account of it as it is at present, 1896. The property is now owned by (i. W. Call, who does what he can to pre.serve the old buildings and does carefully keep all old relics which are not perishable. The chapel stands perfectly erect with theorij'nal roof, doors and win- dows intact. During all these 83 years the little belfry and dome have stood bravely facing the heavy winter stormw. 'I'he stock- ade is nidstly gone, as the timl)erH were not selected but were evident- ly made of young timber with saj) on. 'J'he watch towers are badly decayed on the southerly or stitrm side but are sound on the north side. Tlie governor's house is in a gddd state of preservatidu because it has had a new roof and has been weatherboarded outside. It is now used as a hotel. The barracks building is in a fair state of preser- vation. These old buildings, with haif-a-ddzen new buildiiigs, a wharf and a chute at the landing and two dairies constitute the pres- ent settlement of Fort Koss. One millstone made from native stone renniins intact. Of the original apple-trees some ')(! are still alive and bear apples every year. A portion of the original fence still stands and does duty just as it did wnen described by Duhant Cilley in 1828. A jiaintnig cofjied from the sketch made by Cilley has also been iirescrved and in the hotel may still be seen in service an old j)iano made by Hord in laris about 1820. In a little valley where the Uussians cut away all tiie trees has grown a forest of redwood and pine trees, some of them over five feet in diameter. The pines have evidently grown from seed, but all the redwt)()ds are sprouts sprung from the stumps of the trees cut down. This second-growth forest proves conclusively that all the i in SIR GEORGE PUfPSON'a ACCOUNT OF ROSS m\ Californians have to do to perpetu- ate the redwood forests is to give them a cliance. The Russian l)isli- op, Vladimir, a few years ago, vis- ited Fort Koss and made a propo- sition tc ))urc'liase the old cluipel, with a few acres of ground, includ- ing the Russian cemetery, with a view of preserving them. ]kit as Vladimir was recalled the negotia- tion was not consummated. CHAPTER VI T. We have given in tlie preceding chapters a consecutive and concise history of the Russian ^iilied with that which, to a. Itus- sian, is i)eculiarly the staff of life, so that a design was naturally formed of planting an agricultural settlement on the adjacent coant of America. "With this view, in March, bSOti, - the verv month, bv ti'.e bv, in which Lewis and Clarke left th.Mr winter's encampment of Clatsop Point to retrace their steps across the continent — Von Resanoff, who was then the tJonqiany's principal rei)re,«entative, attempted to enter the Columbia, but was baliled in the atteln^.t by the same circum- stances whicli li.ad so long retarded the discovery of the river. Eiglit 1 THE KARLY 9EA-0TTEB INDI'STRY 17 years afterwards, however, the ex- tensive and beautiful valley of Santa Rosa, which open«; into Bo- dega Baj, was actually occupied — Spain being too busy elsewhere with more serious evils to repel the intrusion. As compared with the Columbia, California, besides its great fertility and its easier access, possessed the sea-otters, besides a large supply of fur-seals, having thereby so far diminished the breeds as to throw nearly all the expense of their es- tablishments on the agricultural branch of the business — an expense far exceeding the mere cost of pro- duction, with a reasonable freight. The Californian settlement required ships exclusively for itself; and, I'nrl Kiiss ill isin, liKikinsf imrllu'iist ircini hint!'. additional recommendation of lit- erally teeming with sea-otters, thus s(H'Uring to the Company an inci- dental ailvantage, more iiiiport.mt, perhaps, in a pecuniary sense, than the jiriniary ol)ject of juirsuit. Sinci' 1814, the Russians have sent to market from California the enor- mous number of eighty thousand though the Russians had so far conciliated ihe local authorities as to lie permitted to hunt both on the coast and in the interior, they were yet obliged, by tiie undisguised jealousy and dislike of their pres- ence, constantly to mainuiin a mil- itary attitude, with strong fortifi- cations and considerable garrisons. :k>T:< 'M !m[. M 18 AN EXTUAf'T FROM GOVKRNOU SIMPSON S WORK m "That the Russians ever actually intended to claim the sovereignty of this part of the coast, 1 do not believe. The term Ross was cer- tainly BUS])icious, as being the con- stant appellation of the ever-vary- ing phases of Russia from the days of Ruric, the verj' name under which, nearly ten centuries ago, the red-bearued dwellers on the Horys- thenes, who have since spread themselves with resistless i)ertinac- ity over more than two hundred degrees of longitude, carried terror ;'.nd desolation in their crazy boats to the gates of Constantinople, a city destine- alike to be their ear- liest quarry and their latest prey. So expansive a monosyllable could hardly be a welcome neighbor to powers so feeble and jealous as Hpain and Mexico. "In justice, however, to Russia, I. have no hesitation in saying that, under the recognized j)rincip!e.-i of colonization, she is fully entitled to all that she holds in America. As early as 1741, Meeririg and Tschiri- koff had visited the continent res- I)ectively in o9 and ")(; , alidut a degree aliove Sitka, and about a degree V)elow it — the fornier, more- over, seeing many islands, and per- hajis the ])eninsu]a of Alaska, on his return; and, by the year 17().'], private adventurers had explored the whole width of the ocean, dis- covering the intermediate chain of islands, from the scene of Reering's sliipwreck, in the vicinity of Kam- Bchatka, to .\liiska, tlien errone.)Us- ly su])po8ed tc be an island, and thence still further eastward to Kodyak — no other nation having previously penetrated, or even pr j- tended to have penetrated, farther north than the j.arallel of lifty- three degrees. "Rut the Russian discoveries were distinguished by this favor- al)le peculiarity, that they were, in a great measure, achieved inde- pendently of the more southerly discoveries of Spain, being the re- sult of rumors of a neighboring continent, which, in the beginning of the century, the Russian con(|- uerors had found to be rife in Kam- schatka. Moreover, in the case of the Russians, discovery and posses- sion had advanced hand in hand. The settlement of Kodyak was formed four years before Meares erected his solitary shed in Nootka Sound; and Sitka was established fully ten or twelve years earlier than Astoria." (Jovernor Simpson says on page 28.'^, vol. 1, of liis interesting work: "On emerging from the strait, which is about three miles long, we saw on our left, in a deep l)ay, known as Whalers' Harbor, two vessels,— the (Government schooner t'alifornia and the Russian brig Constantine, now bound to Sitka, with the last of the tenants of Ho- dega and Ross on board. As we observed the Russians getting under way, I despatched Mr. Hop- kins in one of our lioals, in orangsdorff's equally enthusiastic admiration. Though Doinia Conception appar- ently ioved to dwell on the story of her blighted affections, yet, strange to say, she knew not, till we men- tioned it to her, the immediate cause of the chancellor's sudden death. This circumstance might, in some measure, be explained by the fact, that Langsdorff's work was not {)ublished before 1814: but even then, in any other country than California, a lady, who was still young, would surely have seen a book, which, besides detailing the grand incident of her life, i)resent<'d so gratifying a portrait of her charms.'' We will close these extracts with the conclusion that the astute, if not brilliant, governor-general was forced to reach after he had fully felt the pulse of the situation in California. He says: "Now, for fostering and matur- ing Brother Jonathan's ambitious views. Captain .Sutter's establish- ment is admirably situated. Be- sides lying on the direct route be- tween San Francisco, on the one hand, and the Missouri and the Willamette, on the other, it virtu- ally excludes the (Jalifornians from all the best parts of their own country, the valleys of the San Joa(iuin, the Sacramento, and the Colorado. Hitherto, the Spaniards have confined themselves to the comparatively barren strip of land, varying from ten to forty miles in width, which lies V)etween the ocean and the first range of mountains; and beyond this slip they will never penetrate with their present char- acter and their present force, if Captain Sutter, or any other ad- venturer, can gather round iiim a score of such marksmen as won Texas on the field of San .Jacinto. Ikit this is not all; for the Ameri- cans, if masters of the interior, vvill soon discover that they have a nat- ural right to a maratime outlet; so that, whatever may be the fate of Monterey and the more southerl)' ports, San PVancisco will, to a moral certainty, sooner or late^r, fall into the possession of Anieri- TIIK .TOI-l{\EY OF OTTO VON' KOTZEnUE cans — the onl}' possible mode of preventing sncli a result being the l)revious occupation of the port on the j)art of Great Britain." Sir George saw very clearly in the above forecast, for, six years after, the Americans took j)()sses8- ion not only of the Fort of San Francisco but also of the entire province of California. CHAPTER VUr. The following account of a jSan Ra- fael to Ross by hind cannot fail to interest. The journey was made in the beautiful month of .September. Captain \^on Kotzebue was a sailor, a scientist and a man of acute sensibility— -a splenc^'d type of the aggressive Russian. One may read in this account between the lines a forecast of the ambition and love of country which since the time of the events described has so extended the territory, tlie wealth and the p( A-er of Russia. It is also an interesling fact that Dr. Eschscholtz, for whom our State poppy flower was named, ac- companied his chief on the journey. They had both been previously on the coast on a formei voyage and had reached Ross from the sea side of the fort. On tha : voyage was Adeil)ert Von Chamisso, the botanist, and lie had then given the name of iiis sliipiuate and friend, Dr. iOschsciu itz, to this most brilliant and conspicuous of all the t!alifornia flowers, which prophetically uplifted a cup of gold to the future owners of California, which the Russians then hoped to be. But that very year, though Von Kotzebue did not then know it, Minister Rush had concluded a treaty in London with Russia, un- der which tJajjtain Von Kotzebue's imperial nnister had agreed to make no settlement on the northwest coast of America south of 54:40 north latitude. This was really the first step in the ac(juisition of '''alifornia by the United States. It shut out all Russian pretensions, and Russia was the only coantry be;;i(les the United States which could i|uicklj' occupy the country by actual colonization. \Y\th a word of encouragement from the home government all of California north of San Francisco would have been Russian long be- fore 184i'). The word never came. The treaty of 18-24 had settled the question. Hut this was not known to Von Kotzebue, as, with his geni- al and brilliant conferee. Dr. Esch- scholtz, he followed his guide Mar- co along the beautiful shore of the bay, speculating upon its value to his country, past the Olompali (now Hurdell's station), up the San .\ntonio and through Two Rock valley to Bodega. The trail passed dirocaly between the two split rocks which later on gave its name to the Twt) Rock country. What a splen- did waste it was in those warm September days ? The fat deer 11 iii DR. ESCHSCHOI.Z A COMPANION OX THK JOUKNEY moved reluctantly from their path. The elk were scattered like cattle over the hills. The coyote sere- naded them at night, and the dreamy landscape, golden and green with grass and trees lay hefore the travelers just as it was shaped and colored by Nature's all-perfecting hand— well might it stir the sensi- tive heart and hand of a Von Kot- zebue. His account of the land journey to Ross is as follows: " Indispensable business now summoned me to the establishment of the Russian-American Company called Ross, which lies about eighty miles north of San Francisco. J had for some time been desirous of performing the journey by land, but the difficulties had appeared insurmountable. Without the as- sistance of the commandant, it cer- tainly could not have been accom- plished; I was therefore glad to avail myself of his friendly dispos- ition towards me to make the at- tempt. We required a number of horses and a military escort; the latter to serve us at oi.ce as guides, and as a protection against the sav- ages. Roth these re(|Uests were immediately gratited; and Don Estudillo himself offered to com- mand the escort. " My companions on this journey were Dr. Eschscholz, Mr. Huffman, two of my officers, two sailors, Don Estudillo, and four dragoons, mak- ing altogether a party of twelve. On the evening previous to the day for our departure, Kstudillo came to the ship with his four dragoons, the latter well armed, and accoutr- ed in a panoply of leather. He himself, in the old Spanish cos- tume, with a heavy sword, still heavier spurs, a dagger and pistols in his belt, and a staff in his hand, was a good personification of an adventurer of the olden time. He assured us tliat we could not be too cautious, since we should pass through a part of the country in- ^••ibited by " /o-s Induntns hrarns ; " ,ve therefore also made a plentiful provision of arms, and were ready, as soon as the first beams of morn- ing glimmeretl on the tops of the mountains, to set forward in our barcasse for the mission of St. Rafael, lying on the northern shore of the bay, whence our land journey was to commence. "The weather was beautiful, the wind i)erfectly still, and tlie air enchantingly mild. An Indian named Marco, whom Estudillo had with him, served us as a pilot; for the Spaniards here, incapable, either through indolence or ignor- ance, of discharging that office, always employ an experienced In- dian at the helm. " Don Estudillo, alth. .igh ad- vanced in life, was a very cheerful conipanion, and one of tlie most enlightened Spaniards I have met with in California. He piqued him- self a little on his literary accpiire- ments, and mentioned having read three books besides Don (iui.xote and (lil Bias, whilst, as he assured VON KOTZEHrKV OPINION OF HAN FRANC18C0 nAY 23 rae in confidence, the rest of liis countrymen here had hardly ever seen any other book than tlie liihle. Marco had grown grey in the mis- sion; on account of liis usefulness, he had been in many respects better treated than most of the Indians: he spoke Spanish with tolerable fluency; and when Kstudillo en- deavored to exercise his wit upon him, often embarrassed him not a little by his repartees. This Marco affords a proof that, under favor- able circumstances, the minds even of.j.the Indians of California are susceptible of improvement; hut these examples are rare in the mis- sions. "I confess I could not help spec- ulating upon the l)enefit this coun- try would derive from becoming a province of our powerful empire, and how useful it would prove to Russia. ,\n inexhaustible granary for Kamtschatka, Ochotsk, and all the settlements of the American Company; these regions, so often atHicted with a scarcity of corn, would derive new life from a close connection with California. The sun rose in full magnificence from behind the mountain, at the moment when, emerging from be- tween the islands which divide the northern from the southt-i n half of the bay, an extensive mirror of water opened upon our view. The mission of San Uafael, the first stage of our jonrnt-y, formed a dis- tinguished object in the background of the prospect, sloping up the sides of the hills, the intervening flat land lying so low that it was not yet within our liorizon. We had also a distant view towards the northwest of another newly-founded mission, that of St. Francisco Sala- no (Sonoma), the only one situated on the northern shore of the bay except San Rafael. "The country at this side of the bay, chiefly characterised by gently swelling hills, the park-like group- ing of the trees, and the lively ver- dure of the meadows, is as agreeable to the eye as that of the southern coast. The water is pure and wholesome, which that at the Pre- sidio is not; we therefore laid in our ship's store here. "The whole Bay of St. Francisco, in which thousands of ships might lie at anchor, is formed by nature for an excellent harl)or; but the little creeks about the northwest coast, now lying to our left, and which I have since frequently visit- ed, are especially advantageous for repairs, being so deep that the larg- est vessels can lie conveniently close to the land; and an abun- dance of the finest wood for ship- building, even for the tallest masts, is found in the immediate neigh- borhood. Tiie whole of the north- ern part of tiie bay, which does not |)roper]y l)elong to California, but is assigned by geographers to New Albion, has hitherto remained un- visited by voyagers, and little known even to the Spaniards resid- ing in the country. Two large ^J, THE AUIIIVAI. AT ST. UAKAKI, navigable rivers, which I afterwards surveyed, empty themselves into it. one from the nortli, the other from the east. The land is extremely fruitful, and the climate is iJerhaps the finest and most healthy in the world. It has hitherto l:)een the fate of these regions, like that o modest mer't or humble virtue, to remain unnoticed; l)ut posterity will do them justice; towns and cit- ies will hereafter flourish where all is now desert; the waters, over which scarcely a solitary boat is yet seen to glide, will reflect the flags of all nations; and a happy, prosperous people receiv- ing with thankfulness what prod- igal Nature bestows for their use, will disperse her treasures over every part of the world. " A fresh and favorable wind brought us, without niuch delay from the opposing ei)b-tide, to the northern shore. We left the common embouchure of its two I)rincipal rivers, distinguished by the steepness of their Ijanks to the right, and rowing U}) the narrvnv channel which lias formed itself through the marsh land, reacihed our landing-place just as the sun's disk touched the summits of the mountains in the west. CHAI'TIOR IX. "We were still distant a good nautical mile from the mission of St. Gabriel (Rafael), which peeped from amongst the foliage of its ancient oaks. Many honses be- longing to the mission were grazing on a beautiful meadow by the waterside, in perfect harmony with a herd of small deer, which are very numerous in this country. Our dragoons, who had no inclination for a long walk, took their laa»o» in hand, and soon caught us as many horses as we wanted. We had l)r()ught our saddles with us, and a delightful gallop across the plain carried us to St. Rafael, where we we were received in a very hospitable manner by the only monk in residence. "The locality of this mission, founded in ISUl, is still better cho- sen than that of the celebrated Santa (Mara. A mountain shelters it from the injurious north-wind; but the same mountain serves also as a hiding-place and bulwark for the fndidnos hraros, who have al- ready once succeeded in burning the buildings of the mission, and still keep the monks continually on the watch against similar depre- dations. In fact, St. Rafael has c[uite the appearance of an outpost for the defense of the other mis- sions. "The garrison, sir men strong, is always ready for service on the slightest alarm. Having been driven from my bed at night by the vermin, 1 saw two sentinels, fully armed, keeping guard towards the mountain, each of them l)eside a large lire; every two minutes they rang a bell which was hung be- tween two jjillars, and were regu- larly answered by the howling of ^IIISIB'^^^2^^ *r^ .si I.iiiKliiig ut I'ort lU't^s UK it is Tii-diiy THK JOIKNKV KKOM ST. HAKAKI, fl6 tlio little Wdlf I liiivc ])eforo siKiken of 118 oftoi. lurking in the vicinity of the misHioiiB. That there is not nmch to feiir from otiier enemies, is Hutlic'iontly proved l,y the ninall numher of soidiepH kept, and the total neglect of all regular ineauH of defense. The courage of thes« /'/v/nw HeeniH indeed principally to ccnsist in unwillingness to he caught, in flying with all speed to their hi>ling-p!aces when pursued, and in setting lire to any property of the missions when they can lind an opportunity of doing so unoh- served. We saw here several of these heroes working jjatiently enough with irons on their feet, and in no way di.stingiiishahle in man- ners or appearance from their hrethren of St. Krancisco or Santa Clara. "With the fir.st rays of the sun we mounted our horses, and having passed the valley of St. (Jahrie'l ( Itafael), and the hill which bounds it, our guide led us in a north- westerly direction further into the interior. The fine, light, and fer- tile soil we rode upon was thickly covered with rich herbage, and the luxuriant trees stood in groujis as liicturesque as if they had been dis- posed by tl,e hand of taste. We met with numerous herds of small «leer, so fearless, that they suffered us to ride fairly into the midst of them, but then indeed darted away with the swiftness of an arrow. We sometimes also. Imt less fre- quently, saw another species of stag, (elks) as large as a horse, with branching antlers; these gen- erally graze on hills, from whence they can see round them on all sides, and appear much more cau- tious than the small ones. The Indians, however, have their con- trivances to take them. They fast- en a pair of the stag's antlers on their heads, and cover their bodies with his skin; then erawling on all-fours among the high grass, they imitate the movemoiits of the creature while grazing; the herd, mistaking them for their fellows, suffer them to approach without suspicion, and are not aware of the treachery till the arrows of the dis- guised foes have thinned their num- ber. "Towards noon the heat became so oppressive, that we were obliged to halt on the summit of a hill: we reposed under the shade of some thick and spreading oaks, while our horses grazed and our meal was i)reparing. During our rest, we caught a glimpse of a troop of Indians skulking behind some bushes at a distance; our dragoons immediately seized their arms, but the savag"s disaj)peared without at- tempting to apj)roach us. In a few hours we proceeded on our jour- ney, through a country, which pre- senting no remarkable object to direct our course, excited my aston- ishment at the local memory of our guide, who had traversed it but once before. Two great shaggy white wolves, hunting ,i herd of t an TIIK THAVKI.KRS AIUdVK AT IKiDKDA Hiimll deer, lleil in terror tin our apiieiirinu'e, and we had tlie ^'atili- cation of Having tlie pretty aninialrt for this time. In several places we Haw little cylindriially-Bhaped liutx of underwood, wliii'h ap|ieared to have iieen recently quitted liy Ind- iaiiH, and sometimes we even found the still glinimeriiiji; endiers of a fire; it is therefore i)rol)ai)!e that the savages were often close to us when we were not aware of it; hul they always took care to conceal themselves from the much dreaded dragoons and their Inssos. "In the evening we reached a lit- tle mountain brook, which, after winding through a ravine, fallrf into the sea at I'ort Uomanzow, or Bod- ega. It was already dark, and though liut ten nules distance from Hoss, we were obliged to i)ass the chill and foggy ni^ht not very agreeably on tiiis spot. In the morning we for led the shallow stream, and as wc ^irjceeded, found in the bold, wild features of the scene a striking difference from the smiling valleys through which we had travelled on the preceding day- The nearer we drew to the coast, the more abrupt became the jireci- pices and the higher the rocks, which were overgrown with larch even to their peaked summits. "We wound round the bases of some hills, and having with much fatigue climbed other very steep ascents, reached towards noon a. considerable height, which rewarded us with a magnilicent prospect. Amongst the remarkable ubjeets before us, the ocean stretched to the west, with the harbor of Uomanzow ( Modega), which unfortunately will only afford admission to snnill ves- sels; the Uussiaii settlement here, can therefore never be as prosperous as it might have lx>en, had circum- stances iierndtted its establishment on the bay of St. I'rancisco. 'l"o the east, extending far inland, lay a valley, called by the Indians the Valley of the White .Men (Santa Kosa). There is a tradition among them, that a ship was once wrecked on this coast; that the white men chose this valley for their residence, and lived there in great harmony with the Indians. What afterwards became of them is not recorded. On the northeast was a high moun- tain thickly covered with fir trees, frtun amongst which rose dark ool. umns of smoke, giving evidence of Indian habitations. Our soldiers said that it was the abddenf a chief and his tribe, whose valor had won the respect of the Spaniards; that they were of a distinct class from the common race of Indians; had fixed their dwellings on this nioinitain on account of its sup- j>osed inaccessibility; were dir-tin- guislied for their courage, and pre- ferred death to the dominion of the Missionaries, into whose power no one of them has ever yet been en- trapped. Is it not possible that they may owe their superiority to having mingled their race with that of the shipwreekeut when in j>ro- cess of time they hegan to remark that, notwithstanding the infer- iority of soil and climate, the Russian estahlishment hecame more tlourishing than theirs, envy and apprehension of future danger took j)ossessiou of their minds; they then reipiired that tlie settlement should he ahaudoned, — asserted i li ji S8 THE INHABITANTS OF ROSS that their rights of domination ex- tended northward (luite to the Icy Sea, and threatened to support their claim by force of arms. The founder and tlien commander of the fortress of Ross, a man of penetration, and one not easily frightened, gave a very decided an- swer, lie had, he said, at the com- mand of his superiors, settled in this region, which had not pre- viously been in the po.ssession of any other jjower, and over which, consequently, none had a right but the natives; that these latter had freely consented to his occupation of the land, and therefore that he would yield to no such unfounded pretension as that now advanced by the Spaniards, but should be alway.s ready to resist lurce by force. "Perceiving that the Russians would nut complj' with iheirabsurd requisitions, and considering that tliey were likely to be worsted in an appeal to arms, the Spaniards (]uietly gave up all farther thouglit of hostilities, and entered again into friendly communications witli our ])eo])le: since which thegreatest unity has subsisted between the tw'ti nations. The Spaniards often find Ross very serviceable fo them. For, instance, there is no such thing as ■> smith in all Culifuniia; conse- qutiitly the making and repairing of all manner of iron inn)lements here is a great accommodation to them, and affords hicnitive eni])loy- ment to tlie ivussians. The dra- goons who accompanied us, had brought a number of old gunlocks to be repaired. "In order that the Russians might not extend their dominion to the northern shore of the Bay of St. Francisco, the Spaniards imme- diately founded the missions of St- (Jabriel (Rafael) and St. Francisco Salano (Sonoma). It is a great pity that we were not beforehand with them. The advantages of possessing this beautiful bay are incalculable, especially as we have no harbor but the bad one of Bodega or Port Romanzow. " The inhabitants of Ross live in the greatest concord with the Indi- ans, who repair, in considerable numbers, to the fortress, and work as day laborer.3 for wages. At night ihey usually remain outside the j)alisades. They willingly give their daughters in marriage to Russians, and Aleutians; and from these uinons ties of relationship have arisen which strengthen the good understanding between them. The inhal)itants of Ross have often pen- etrated singl}' far into the interior, when engaged in the pursuit of deer or other game, and have passed vhole nights among different In- dian trihes, without ever having experiencetl any inconvenieiu'e. This the Spaniards dare not ven- ture upon. The nioie striking the (H)nt.'asl between the two nations in their treatment of the savages, the more ardently must ever) friend to humanity rejoice on entering Rus- sian teiritory. THE IXniAXS OP HOSS AXD THEIR HABITS " The climate at Ross is irild Reau,„ur's thernu.meter seldom Mh to the freezing point, yet par- Jlens cannot flourish on account of he frequent fogs. Hon.e Mersts far- ''!'■ "''''^"''' I'^Toncl M,e injurious '"""^ '^f tl.e fog, plants of the warmest climates prosper surpris- "iff'y- Cucumbers of fifty pounds, we.ght, gourds of -ixty-five, and "^^'^r l'-«'tH in proportion, are produced in th.-^^ Potatoes yield =1 hundred or ; wo hundred iold,'and ''" "'•'3' will produce two crops a year, are an effectual security ^^jra.nst famine. The fortress is ^urr.,un,!ed Uy wheat and barley f'''''^' "''i^'l', on account of tl.; %s, are less pro-Iuctive than those ^'-.'^anta Clara, hut which still su,,- I'ly sulficienl corn for the inhahi- t;"'<« of Ross. The.McutiansJind ' , '"■ •''"'•'^' ''fresoagreeahle, that although unwilling to leave tlicir ■slands they are seldom inclined t,. '■*'tiirn to them. S9 "The Spatnanls sh.uild take ■, It^'son in l.ushano!H', are made here unocr his ey may well be l^ni-posed to belong to the same race, I'ovvever different their language. Ihoy appear indeed by no means Rtupid, and are much more cheerful and contented than at the missions where a deep melancholy always clouds their faces, and tl.eir eyes are constantly fixed upon the ground; but this difference is only the natural result of the different treatment they experience. They have no permanent residence but wander about naked, and, when ""t employed by the Ru..sians as day laborers, follow n., occupation Hit the chase. For the winter they lay np a provision of acorns and wild rye. The latter grows here vry abundantly. When it is ripe tlH-y burn the straw away from it 'ind thus roast the corn, which is then raked together, mixed with "<'orns and eaten without any far- Jl'or j.reparation. The Indians here have invented several games of chance. They are passionately fonil of gaming, an.l often pky awa;- everything they p.-,,,e«». •^I'ould the blessing of oivihzatiou ever be extended to the rude inhab- so THE DEPARTURK OK 1)K. v.«(.'HSCHOLZ FROM ROSS itants of these regions tlie merit will be due to tiie Russian settle- ments, certainly not to tiie Spanish missions. ' After a stay of two days we took leave of tiie estimable M. N'on Schmidt and returned by tlie same way that we came withn'^ lueeting with any remarkable occurre'ce. Professor Escliscboltz rcmaint i at lloss, in order to jirosecute soint; botanic;) 1 researches, \\V iidiiig to rejoin us by means of an Aleutian baidar, several of which were short- ly to proceed to St. Francisco in search of otters. " The C'aiifornian winter l)eing now fairly set in we had much rain and frei|uent storms. On the iJth of October the southwest wind blew with the violence of the West-Indi- an tornado, roofed up the strongest trees, tore off the roofs of tiie houses, and occasioned great de- vastation in the cultivated lands. One of our tliickest cables l)ri>ke. and if the second had given waj' we would have been diiven on tlie rock^' slu)re of the cliannel whicii unites tlie bay with (lie sea, where a jiowerful current strug- gling with the teni[)est produced i friglitful surf. Fortunately, the extreme violence of the storm bisted only a few hours, but in tliat -hurt time it caused a destructive inun- dation: the Wiiter spread so rajiidiy over the low bind- that our jieop'o had scarce time to secure tbe tent, witii tiie astioiiomic'il apparatus. " The arrival of Dr. Fschscboltz and the liaidars from Ross was still delayed, and 1 really began to fear that some misfortune had befallen tbeni in the tempest; my joy there- fore was extreme when at last, on the I'Jtii of October, Mie baidars, twenty in number, "iitev - f'lc har- bor undami'.ged, .1' ■' > •eived our friend again safe ilr lux I'luinx, till its fury was ex])en(led: but the voyagers had been obliged to biv- onack on the naked rock, without shelter from the weather, and with very scanty provisions. Dr. Fsch- scholtz, however, not in the sliglit- est degree disheartened by tbe diHi- cnlties he had undergone, was qui'' ready to join the voyage I Inul ; .» i- itated for the examination o li," .idjacent rivers."' CIIArTKi: X. The greatest dillicnlty the Rus- sians bad in maintaining their set- tlement in California was the absolute huk of interest the home government toot- in 't. This was natural, UK :n , ■. . e Hritisb ' .'eaty of ]S'>\ made in London ;< '.^si.t had bound heiself to make 1 ■• fr- tlement isehnv o-l 4t)'. The Russian-.'vnierican l'"nr com- Viiuv. owi 1; (o its remoteness fi'oni ilic home 1, v. rnment, was a sort of iinpiiri'nii 111 I miKirlo. its charter gave it governmental powers within \ jiii!uiu!!iai!Mliaa!S14!M-'?'.*-."i 'I'lIK f'AI.IFOHMANH" WfPDOM very limited restrictions. Alex- ander Hamnoff, who ruled it so Ion c. with a rod of i,.„n, used to sujr Heaven and the Czar are far off" i I'- ;>owers exercised by the Mm- sian-Anierican Fur Conipany were very desj)otic and had the force of "iipenal edicts within the juris- , orders were issued for the establishment of a })residio in the town of Sonoma, which was done in ISuo under the direction oftieneral Vallejo, who was made conunandant of tlie frontier. The new timmander was in- structed t.. i>revent any further en- croachments upon Mexican territo- ry by the Russians. With this view he establi.^hod Ulack .Mcintosh and Dawson next to the llussian farm, in Uodega, and lictween 1833- t) all the best lands in what is now Sonoma coutUy was granted to Mexican citizei s. r>y this time fur hunting liai' '■■^- comc less j>rolit;ible nn the coast of California, and the otter was about extermiiuitfd in the bay of San Francisco. The hope of ac(iuiring territory having failed with the failure of WrangeFs mission to Mexico, it ^ vj V i TIIK DKI'AKTIUK (iK TIIK KISSIANS l-dii (A I.I KOK NI A 33 waB (lekM-miiieii hy the Hus^siaii Ainericiin ('(in)|iiiny to al);uui()n Ross. Tliis conclusion must have been a relief to the liome govern- ment wiio liad ae(Hiiesced in tlie occupation of Ross i)ut liad never made any ciaun of sovereignty, or attempt to accjuire it, over th(! laud. Alexander Rotcheff, the lust Rus- sian governor, in connection with Kostromitinoff, a special agent of the company, under instructions from the directors, commenced ne- gotiations in \ii:^\) for the sale of the building, stock and mohilier of Ross. They first tried to sell it to the Hudson ]5ay Company, hut this company did not want to huy. They next proposed ioiJeneral Val- lejo to sell it to the Mexican g('V- ernment. This i)ropi)sal (iencral Vallejo rej( led with sc(Umi, l)ecause, as he wrote to (iovernor Alvarado, " these buildings were built on Mex- ican soil witii material from the same laud, and belonged of right to the government, and. he adds, 'yes, most excellent senor; soon will the national flag wave glori- ously and triumphantly where was hoisted a foreign flag during five lustres; the imperial eagles will yield the held to the eagle of .Mex- ico, which we shall see for the lirst time roaring and spreading his protecti.ig wings over this portion of t)ur glo-ious country lopped off from the .uother land by the fur- hunting Russians' " While the hauty Castilian General Vallejo was so gaily sport- ing the .>[exican eagle from the flag-staft' of Ross in his vivid im- agination, the shrewd Rotscheff was negotiating with Captain Sutter for the purchase of the fort, and it soon after passed into his hands, to the great indignation of the t!omman- dat<^ del Fronteria, who always contended that the Russians had nothing to sell and Sutter had ac- (piired nothing from them. This belief he would have enforced at the ))oint of Mexic^in lances if he had had the lances and the lancers to bear them. It was not from a lack of courage that he let Sutter take possession but because he could not lielp it. The Russians were now on the eve of their ileparture for ('alifornia. They had begun their long journey toward it in the latter jtart of the century when Yermac, the Cossack robber, crossed the Ural mount "his with his band of marauders, which ended with con((uest of Siberia. As early as IT.'iO the Itussians had reached the Racitic Ocean, colon- izing the intervening six thousand miles of country, and in 1740 they crossed over Rehring straits to the American continent and by the close of that century they li:td solidly established themselves on the northwest coast of .\merica. They did not stop there but pushed down tlie coast, reaping a rich harvest of furs as they went, and finally, as litis heretofore been told, took possession of H'niega Ray in 1S1L>, which they held until 1840. 34 Till-; UrsSIAN HKTtUKMKNT Strangely enougli in tliis last year WonsnesHiMisky, a naturalist at- tached to the zoological muscuni of St. Petersburg, arrived at Uosh. Ke had been sent to tlie coast of eastern Asia and nortiivvest Amer- ica by the Academy of Science and had been making collectii)ns on the Asiatic and American seashore. From the mountain back of Ross which rises to a great height, a beautiful view of St. Helena moun- tain may be seen to the eastward. Its elevation above the sea level is 4,o48 feet, and it is the nio^t con- spicuous featiive in the landscaiie of the four counties of Sonoma, Napa, ^^arin and Lake. It can be seen from far out at sea and also from the city of San Francisco. Wossnessensk}' doubtless saw it looming u\) in all its stately gran- deur from tlie Ross Ridge. To so adventurous a spirit as his, to see was to visit it; to visit it was to determine to ascend it. Tiiis he did on June 12, 1S41. He named it St. Helena in honor of his im- perial mistress the Empress of Russia and, planting a jiost on its highest point, he nailed to it a copptT i)iate inscril)etl with tlio name he had given the mountain, his own name and that of his com- ])anion (Tschernech) with t!-3 date of the ascent and the word "Rus- sians" twice repeated, once in Russian, once in l^atin. The moun- tain has ever since retained the name given to it in this notable christening, and will stand forever as an enduring monument of the most easterly and most southerly point touched by the Russians in their advance across Siberia and the Pacific Ocean to northwest America, ai\d thence down the coast to California. The Russians retired from Cal- ifornia, and later on from Alaska because, south of Siberia, there was a richer and even greater field for their aggressive ambition; and today that mighty empire holds the destiny not alone of .\sia but of Furo))e in the hollow of its po- tential hand. i El 1 "^^ mimmmmm >. It I I *