»753- vitably prevent an army by land from coming to the fupport of the
■ - - \ prefent polfelfors, or to the annoyance, of an invading enemy; for two
very obvious reafons, The firft is, that the natives of the country about
the river Colorado, a moll daring and warlike people; have from time
immemorial been the inveterate and avowed enemies of the Spaniards;
who not many years fince furprized and cut off a Prelidio and million,
containing near an hundred Spaniards, and Hill continue to aft on all
occalions with hoftility. The other reafon is, that to the weftward of
the territory o f thefe people, from the banks o f the Colorado, the mountainous,
barren, and inhofpitable flate of the country renders it at prelent
fo totally impaffable, that the Spaniards could never penetrate by land
at the back of thefe their new ellablilhments. Thefe fafts were eflablifh-
ed by many inquiries, and .confirmed by the route which the Spaniards
purfue for the purpofe o f avoiding fuch difficulties, when palling between
their fettlements in New Albion, and tliofe north-eaftward of the
river Colorado, which are inftances that frequently occur ; and on thefe
occalions they are obliged to go as far fouth as the Prelidio ;of Loretto
before they; crofs the gulf of California, and 'then proceed along its
eallern Ihores, northward, to. their deftination, even though it fhould
be to the city of SKFee, the capital o f New Mexico,
This city was founded in the beginning of the fall century, about the
time when the Count o f Monterrey was viceroy of New Spain; it is
garrifoned with five hundred men only, and is faid to be fituated in the
finell country that America affords, nearly under the meridian of Lo retto
and the parallel o f port St. Francifco; between which , port and
Sta Fee, an extent of about 160 leagues, the Spaniards have endeavoured
to effeft a communication by land, though hitherto unfuccefsfully,
their labours having been conllantly defeated by the obflruftiora o f the
lofty range of mountains exifling between New Mexico and the fea
coalt. This projeft, however, is not intirely abandoned, though little
hope was entertained of its accomplilhment.
The Spaniards, in doing thus much, have only cleared the way for the
ambitious enterprizers of thofe maritime powers, who, in the avidity of
commercial purfuits, may feek to be benefited by the advantages which
the
5°3
the fertile foil o f New Albion feems Calculated1 to afford. By the for- .1793'.
mation of fuch eflablifhments, fo wide from each other, and fo unproteft- ife-™bcr'
ëd in themfelves, the original defign o f fettling the Country feéms to
havé been completely fet afidfe, and; inftead o f flrengthèning the barrier
to their valuable poffeffions in New Spain, they have thrown ifrefiftible
temptations in the way of flrangers to trefpafs over their boundary.
From their dominions in New Spain they have flocked this frontier
country with fuch an abundance of cattle o f all defcriptions, that it is no
longer in their power, even were they fo inclined, to effeft their extermination,
They have alfo pointed out many fertile fpots, fome of which are
very extenfive, where they have introduced the mofl valuable vegetable
produftions, not only necefTary to the fuftenance, but miniflering to many
o f the luxuries, o f civilized fociety; and they have, by their previous experiments,
fully afcertained in what degree each is found to fucceed. A
certain proportion of the natives have, by the indefatigable labour o f the
miffionaries, been weaned from their former uncivilized favage way of
life,, and are become obedient to_ focial forms, and praftifed in many do-
meflic occupations.'' All thefe' circumflances are valuable confiderations
to new mailers, from whofe power, if properly employed, the Spaniards
would have no alternative but that of fubmiffively yielding.
That fuch an event fhould take place appears by no means to be very
improbable, fhould the commerce of North-well America be further extended.
The advantages that have already been derived, and are likely
flill to accrue, in the profecution of a well-condufted trade, between
this coafl and China, India, Japan, and other places, may, on fome future'day,
under a judicious and well-regulated eflablifhment, become an
objeft of ferious and important confideration, to that nation which fhall
be inclined to reap the advantages of fuch a commerce.
Ruffia at prefent feems principally to engrofs thefe benefits, in confe-
quence of the unwife competition between private adventurers of other
nations, not only on the coafl o f America, but alfo at Canton and in
its neighbourhood; the only market to which, at prefent, fuch adventurers
can carry the furs of North-well America.
The