The summits of the most
elevated peaks are covered with perpetual snow. This and the coast
range run nearly parallel with the shore of the Pacific. The first is
from 100 to 200 miles from the Pacific, and the last from forty to
sixty miles. The valley between them is the most fertile portion of
California.
Upper California was discovered in 1548, by Cabrillo, a Spanish
navigator. In 1578, the northern portion of it was visited by Sir
Francis Drake, who called it New Albion. It was first colonized by the
Spaniards, in 1768, and formed a province of Mexico until after the
revolution in that country. There have been numerous revolutions and
civil wars in California within the last twenty years; but up to the
conquest of the country by the United States in 1846, Mexican authority
has generally been exercised over it.
The following description of the political and social condition of
Upper California in 1822 is extracted and translated from a Spanish
writer of that date. I have thought that the extract would not be
uninteresting:--
"_Government_.--Upper California, on account of its small population,
not being able to become a state of the great Mexican republic, takes
the character of territory, the government of which is under the charge
of a commandant-general, who exercises the charge of a superior
political chief, whose attributes depend entirely upon the president of
the republic and the general congress.
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