That of San Francisco has many
advantages. Santa Barbara is but middling in the best part of the
season; at other times always bad. Besides the above-mentioned places,
vessels sometimes anchor at Santa Cruz, San Luis Obispo, El Refugio,
San Pedro, and San Juan, that they may obtain the productions of the
missions nearest these last-mentioned places; but from an order sent by
the minister of war, and circulated by the commandante-general, we are
given to understand that no foreign vessel is permitted to anchor at
any of these places, Monterey only excepted, notwithstanding the
commandante-general has allowed the first three principal ports to
remain open provisionally. Were it not so, there would undoubtedly be
an end to all commerce with California, as I will quickly show.
"The only motive that induces foreign vessels to visit this coast is
for the hides and tallow which they barter for in the territory. It is
well known, that at any of these parts there is no possibility of
realizing any money, for here it does not circulate. The goods imported
by foreign vessels are intended to facilitate the purchase of the
aforesaid articles, well knowing that the missions have no interest in
money, but rather such goods as are necessary for the Indians, so that
several persons who have brought goods to sell for nothing but money
have not been able to sell them.
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