' 79s- vifions, are erefted along the walls on the infide of the inclofure, which:
December. . 6 .
■__s—j admits of but one entrance for carnages or perlons on horfebaek ; this, as
at St. Francifco, is on the fide o f the fquare fronting the church, which was-
rebuilding with Hone like that at St. Carlos. Befides the principal gateway,
they have fmall doors that communicate with the .country, nearly
in the middle o f the fide walls, to the right and left o f the entrance. One
o f thefe, on the right hand, is through the apartments o f the commanding
officer. Thefe are much more extenfive than thofe at St. Francifco, as
they confift of five or fix fpacious rooms with boarded floors, but under
the fame difad vantage of wanting glals, or any fubftitute for it. The
window places are open, and only on that fide o f the houles which looks
into the area ; as no apertures, I believe, are allowed to be made in the
grand wall of the inclofure, excepting for the doors ; which are thole already
mentioned ; with one at each o f the officer’s houles contiguous to1
the governor’s, and one other on the oppofite fide. Thefe are all the
apertures in the wall, which when feen at a diftance has the appearance-
o f a place of confinement. At each corner o f the fquare is a fmall kind o f
block houfe, raifed a little above the top o f the wall, where fwivels might be
mounted for its proteftion. On the outfide, before the entrance into the
prefidio, which fronts the Ihores o f the bay, are placed feven canon, four
nine and three three-pounders, mounted; thefe, with thofe noticed at St.
Francifco, one two-pounder at Sa Clara, and four nine-pounders difinount-
ed, form the whole o f their artillery. Thefe guns are planted on the open
plain ground, without any breaft work or other fcreen for thofe employed
in working them, or the leaft cover or protection from the weather.
Such, I was informed, was allb the defencelefs flate o f all the new fettle-
ments on the coaft, not excepting St. Diego, which from its fituation
Ihould feem to be a poll of no fmall importance.
The four difmaunted cannon, together with thofe placed at the entrance
into the prefidio, are intended for a fort to be built on a finall
eminence that commands the anchorage. A large quantity of timber is
at prefent in readinefs for carrying that defign into execution ; which,
when completed, might certainly be capable of annoying veffels lying in
4 that
that part o f the Bay which affords the grealeft fecurity, but could not be
o f any importance after a landing was accompliffied ; as the hills behind
it might be eafily gained, from whence the affailing party would foon
oblige the fort to furrender; nor do I confider Monterrey to be a very
tenable poft without an extenfive line of works.
The prefidio is the refidence o f the governor o f the province,
whofe command extends from St. Francifco, fouthward along the
exterior ffiore, to cape St. Luca s; and on the eaftern fide of the
peninfula o f California, up that gulph to the bay of St. Louis. The
rank in the Spaniffi (ervice, required as a qualification to hold this extenfive
command, is that o f lieutenant colonel. Whether the governor
interfered m the common garrifon duty I know not. A lieutenant and
enfign, fergeants, corporals, &c. refided alfo in the prefidio; the efta-
blifhment o f which I underflood was fimilar to all the reft in the province,
but was then incomplete in confequence o f the recent death of the late
commandant. By this event, Lieutenant Arguello, properly the commander
at St. Francifco, as being the fenior officer, had taken upon him
the government, and had fent the alferez, or enfign, Senr- Sal, to command
at St. Francifco ; which polls we underftood they were feverally to
retain, until another lieutenant colonel fhould be appointed to the go-
vernment.
By what I was able to learn, I did not confider the number o f foldiers
who compofed the garrifon as exceeding one hundred, including the non-
commiflioned officers. From this body detachments are drawn for thg
proteftion of the neighbouring miffions ; the remainder, with their wives
and families, refide within the Walls of the prefidio, without feeming to
have the leaft defire for a more rural habitation ; where garden ground
and many other comforts might eafily be procured, at no great diftance
from the feat of the eftabliffiment. This feemed to be compofed intirely o f
military people, at leaft we did not fee amongft them thofe of. any other
defcription. The few moll neceflary mechanical employments were carried
on in an indifferent manner by fome of the foldiers, under permiffion
of the commanding officer.
I mull