492
December though it prefented that outward appearance ; and I am perfuaded there
1— v — 1 are few fpots that, with the affiftance of manual labour, would not be
made' produ&ive.
I had every reafon to believe, that beyond the lofty mountains that
range along and chiefly compofe the Ihores of the continent under our
prefent confideration, the furface would be found capable of receiving
great improvement. This was remarked in our journey from the fea
coaft to the miflion o f Su Clara. A t St. Diego the foil rapidly lofes
its fertility; and I was informed, that from thence immediately fouth-
ward to cape St. Lucas, the whole of the peninfula is compofed o f a foil
fo extremely unproductive and barren, that good mould had been Tent
thither from other places, to certain fituations where it was deemed proper
to plant millions, and depofited there for the purpofe of raiflng the
grain and vegetables neceflary for the eftablifhments.
I {hall now proceed to confider more fully the appropriation o f this
country by its new mailers the Spaniards, who, though polfefling the
very extenlive and fertile trail o f land lying to the north-well from St.
Diego, have not turned it to any profitable advantage, notwirhflanding
that the foil, as Hated on former occafions, may be confidered to be rich
and luxuriant, at leaf! in the parts felected by the Spaniards for their fettle-
ments. That much {kill or invelligation was not required in making their
choice, was evident from the difference in the natural produilions oblerved
in my journey to S“ Clara; when I became convinced, by the inquiries
I had then an opportunity of making, that the foil of the millions of St.
Antonio, La Soledad, and St. Luis, was equally fertile, efpecially that o f
the two former, which are faid to be watered by feveral llreams, and which
yielded grain, fruits, and roots o f the bell quality, and in the greatell
abundance. Thefe were obtained with little trouble in clearing the
ground, as fpaces of great extent were found nearly free from trees or
Ihrubs, and equally rich in foil with thofe parts that produced their lofty
timbers and luxuriant forells. This fertility of foil feems to exilt with
little variation through the plains and vallies o f the interior country,
extending in fome places to the water’s edge on the fea coall. Such
however is not the fituation of S“ Barbara; the country about it to. the;
northnorth
well is chiefly compofed of barren rocky cliffs, and towards the '79S:
fouth-ealt is a low fwampy fait marlh. The former, terminating very 1 - ° -C
abruptly at no great dillance from the water fide, form between their baft
and the fea beach a plain, compofed of a clayey and fandy foil; where,
clofe about the foot of the cliffs, and protefled by them from the fea
winds, grow the holly-leaved oak trees, from which we obtained Our fup-
ply of wood; and a few acres of land in that neighbourhood were rudely
inclofed, and in an indifferent Hate of cultivation. On the fait marlhes
that extend fome dillance further from the water fide to the foot o f the
mountains, a few dwarf trees and groveling Ihrubs were produced, but
no part o f it was under cultivation; and as the whole of the interior
country in all direflions feemed to be compofed o f high barren naked
mountains deftitute of foil, it is not likely that it Ihould be very abundant
in its, vegetable produilions. Sufficient, however, is afforded for the ufe
o f the miflion; and was it well fupplied with water, it is fuppofed capable
o f being rendered very fruitful even under thefe difadvantages.
The ffieep and poultry here far exceeded thofe o f every other eftablifh-
ment that we had vifited, not only in point of fize, but in the flavor and
delicacy of the meat. T o thefe was added from the fea a daily and
abundant fupply of molt excellent fiffi, procured throughout the year
by, the natives; who are very expert in that, as well as in many other
ufeful and neceflary occupations.
• The Prefidio is principally fupplied with grain and pulfe from the
pueblo de los Angelos, and the miflion of Buena Ventura; which, though
fituated clpft to the water-fide, has the reputation of being amongll the
moll fertile of the eftablifhments in this. country. Its buildings were
fome time ago burnt down by accident; this circumftance, though attended
with fome temporary inconvenience, was the means of affording
them an opportunity of replacing them on the fame fpot with more advantage,
both in refpedt of their external appearance, and internal accommodation.
Thefe buildings furpaffed all the others I had feen, being
fomething larger, and more uniform; and the apartments were infinitely
more commodious, and were kept extremely clean and neat.
Both here and at Sta Barbara, very great advantages are derived from
havingO