The First Fifty Years After the Discovery of San Francisco Bay

I knew about F. W. Beechey because I live in the Oakland hills, and he is quoted as having described the two tall trees on our ridgeline as being a navigation aid for sailors entering the Golden Gate in his book Narrative of a Voyage to the Pacific and Beering's Strait To Co-operate with the Polar Expeditions: Performed in His Majesty's Ship Blossom, Under the Command of Captain F.W. Beechey ... in the Years 1825, 26, 27, 28 .... I haven't read his book yet, but when I found this 1909 summary titled "The First Fifty Years after the Discovery of San Francisco Bay," I knew I wanted to share it.

It's a very blurry page, and I'm sure I missed some transcription mistakes below. It's passages from the Beechey book, with some older artwork and slim commentary, and with much left out, including the bit about the two trees. It's also the first telling of his visit to San Francisco in a California newspaper, almost 85 years later. The writing is a product of the time; there are descriptions of people that will likely make you uncomfortable, and the details of the bull and bear fight are gruesome. But it is also a window into what this world was like before; before the gold rush, before US statehood, before over-population, when animals covered the land, and invasive species were not yet in place. The glimpse of place names we know is intriguing. It's worth your time.

This is in the appendix of Beechey's book, and not quoted in the article below. Putting it here, so you see it:

After passing the fort a ship may work up for the anchorage without apprehension, attending to the lead and the tides. The only hidden danger is a rock with one fathom on it at low water, spring tides, which lies between Alcatrasses and Yerba Buena islands. It has seven fathoms alongside it: the lead therefore gives no warning. The marks when on it are, the north end of Yerba Buena Island in one with two trees (nearly the last of the straggling ones) south of Palos Colorados, a wood of pines situated on the top of the hill, over San Antonio, too conspicuous to be overlooked; the left hand or S.E. corner of the Presidio just open with the first cape to the westward of it; Sausalito Point open point with the north end of Alcatrasses; and the island of Molate in one with Punta de San Pedro. When to the eastward of Alcatrasses, and working to the S. E., or indeed to the westward, it is better not to stand toward this rock nearer than to bring the Table-peak in one with the north end of Alcatrasses Island, or to shut in Sausalito Point with the south extreme of it. The position of the rock may generally be known by a ripple; but this is not always the case.

Read to the end to see how this relates to history on the ground, in the Oakland hills.

The First Fifty Years after the Discovery of San Francisco Bay to blog Sun, Oct 17, 1909 – Page 37 · San Francisco Chronicle (San Francisco, California) · Newspapers.com

THERE have been many descriptions of the peninsula of San Francisco, the Presidio and the Mission as seen by pioneers, but the "Chronicle" presents here with a description years "before the Gringo came;" a description of life and trade on the peninsula at the time no one dreamed of the Americans coming; they were yet 2000 miles away along the Mississippi and the Missouri and impassable mountains, burning deserts and hordes of warlike savages lay between. The description is that of Captain F. W. Beechey of the British navy, who visited this port eighty-four years ago on the ship Blossom, after which Blossom rock, in Mission bay, was named. The following comprises extracts from his report, written in London in 1825. In speaking of the entrance to the Golden Gate, he says:

THE GOLDEN GATE - FROM AN OLD PRINT

"The fort which we passed on our right mounts nine guns, and is built on a promontory on the south side of the entrance, apparently so near to the precipice that one side will, before long, be precipitated over it by the gradual breaking away of the rock. As we passed a soldier protruded with a speaking trumpet through one of the embrasures and hailed us with a stentorian voice, but we could not distinguish what he said.

"As we opened out the several islands and stopping places in the harbor we noticed seven American whalers at anchor at Sausalito, not one of which showed their colors; we passed them and anchored off a small bay named Yerba Buena, from the luxuriance of its vegetation, about a league distant from both the Presidio and the Mission of San Francisco. I immediately went on shore to pay my respects to Don Ignacio Martinez, a lieutenant in the Mexican army, acting as Governor in the absence of Don Luis, and to the priest, whose name was Tomaso, both of whom gave me a very hospitable and friendly reception and offered their services in any way they might be required. Our first inquiries naturally related to supplies, which we were disappointed to find not at all equal to what had been reported; it seemed that with the exception of flour, fresh beef, vegetables and salt, which might be procured through the missions, we should have to depend upon the American vessels for whatever else we might want or upon what might chance to be in store at Monterey, a port of more importance than San Francisco.

ISLAND AND COVE OF YERBA BUENA IN 1825 - FROM AN OLD PRINT

"We were happy to find the country around our anchorage abounding in game of all kinds, so plentiful indeed as soon to lessen the desire of pursuit; still there were many inducements to both officers and seamen to land and enjoy themselves. Horses were fortunately very cheap, from 9 shillings ($2 25) to £7 apiece, so that riding became a favorite amusement. The only obstacle to this amusement was the scarcity of bridles and saddles, some of which cost ten times as much as a decent horse.

THE PRESIDIO.

"Martinez was always glad to see the officers at the Presidio and made them welcome to what he had. Indeed, nothing seemed to give him greater pleasure than our partaking of his family dinner, part of which was dressed by his wife and daughters, who prided themselves on their proficiency in the art of cooking. It was not, however, entirely for the satisfaction of presenting us with a well-prepared repast that they were induced to indulge in this humble occupation; poor Martinez had a very numerous offspring to provide for out of his salary, which was then eleven years in arrears. Fortunately for Martinez and other veterans in this country both animal and vegetable food are uncommonly cheap and there are no fashions to create any expense in dress.

"The Governor's abode stood in a corner of the Presidio and formed one end of a row, of which the other was occupied by a chapel; the opposite side was broken down, and a little better than a heap of rubbish and bones on which jackals, vultures and dogs were constantly preying; [I think what he calls a jackal we call a coyote. - MF] the other two sides of the quadrangle contained storehouses, artificers' shops and the jail, all built in the humblest style with badly burnt bricks and roofed with tiles. Whether viewed at a distance or near, the establishment impresses a spectator with any other sentiment than that of its being a place of authority and but for the tottering flagstaff, upon which was occasionally displayed the tri-colored flag of Mexico, three rusty field pieces and a half-accoutered sentinel parading the gateway in charge of a few poor wretches, heavily shackled, a visitor would be ignorant of the importance of the place. The plain upon which the Presidio stands is well adapted to cultivation; but it is scarcely ever touched by the plow and the garrison is entirely beholden to the missions for its resources. The garrison of San Francisco consists of seventy-six cavalry soldiers and a few artillerymen, distributed between the presidios and the missions and consequently not more that half a dozen are at any time in one place."

After an extended explanation of the discontent pervading the missions, due to the change of government and the limitations and duties imposed by the Mexicans, Captain Beechey continues:

"The missions have hitherto been of the highest importance to California and the Government cannot be too careful to promote their welfare, as the prosperity of the country in great measure is dependent upon them, and must continue to be so until settlers from the mother country can be induced to resort thither. In upper California there are twenty-one of these establishments of which nine are attached to the presidios of Monterey and San Francisco and contain about 7000 converts.

PRINCIPAL PRODUCTS.

"Almost all these establishments cultivate large portions of land and rear cattle, the hides and tallow of which alone form a small trade, of which the importance may be judged from the fact of a merchant of Monterey having paid $36,000 in one year to a mission, which was not one of the largest, for its hides and tallow and Indian labor. Though the system they pursue is not calculated to raise the colony to any great prosperity, yet the neglect of the missions will not long precede the ruin of the presidios and the whole of the district. Indeed, with the exception of two pueblos, containing about 700 persons and a few farmhouses, widely scattered over the country, there are no other buildings to the northward of Monterey; thus while the missions furnish the means of subsistence to the presidios, the body of men they contain keeps the wild Indians in check and prevents their making incursions on the settlers.

"Each mission has fifteen square miles of land allotted to it. The buildings are variously laid out and adapted in size to the number of Indians which they contain. Some are inclosed with a high wall, as at San Carlos, while others consist merely of a few rows of huts built with sunburned mud bricks; many are whitewashed and tiled and have a neat and comfortable appearance. It is only the married persons and the officers who are allowed these huts; the bachelors and spinsters having large places of their own where they are separately incarcerated every night.

After detailing at length the manner of life in the missions and the method of securing neophytes, which has been often written, Captain Beechey tells how the Indian converts would be permitted to take the mission launch and make incursions into the Indian country in the hope of inducing their wild brethren to return with them. There were always more volunteers than the launch would hold, as many of the converted Indians desired to visit friends or procure the manufactures of their barbarous countrymen, which were often better than their own. The boat was always in command of a Spaniard and equipped with a small cannon and musketry for protection. This was often the occasion of trouble, as the neophytes, desiring to please the padres, would frequently exceed their instructions and seize the women and children of their wild brothers, knowing that husbands and fathers would follow them to the mission. These aggressions kept up a perpetual enmity between the tribes. Continuing, Beechey says:

"We had an opportunity of witnessing the tragical issue of one of these excursions of the neophytes of the Mission San Jose. The launch was armed as usual and placed under the superintendence of an alcalde of the mission, who, it appears from one statement (for there are several) converted the party of pleasure into one of attack for the purpose of revenge upon a particular tribe for some aggression in which they were concerned. They proceeded up the Rio San Joachin [sic] until they came to the territory of a particular tribe named the Cosemenes, [AKA Cosumnes, and I'm really sad to say that there's no information I can find about this tribe. The name survives as a place name. - MF] when they disembarked with the gun and encamped for the night near the village of Los Gentiles, intending to make an attack upon them the next morning. But before they were prepared the Gentiles, who had been apprised of their intention, and had collected a large body of friends, became the assailants and pressed so hard upon the party that notwithstanding they dealt death in every direction with their cannon and musketry, and were inspired with confidence by the contempt in which they held the valor and tactics of their unconverted countrymen, they were overpowered by numbers and obliged to seek their safety in flight and to leave the gun in the woods. Some regained the launch and were saved and others found their way overland to the mission; but thirty-four of the party never returned to tell their tale.

INDIANS SEEK REVENGE.

"The neophytes became so enraged at the news of the slaughter of their companions that it was almost impossible to prevent them from proceeding forthwith to revenge their deaths. The padre was also greatly displeased at the result of the excursion, as the loss of so many Indians to the mission was of the greatest consequence and the confidence with which the victory would inspire the Indians was equally alarming. He therefore joined with the converted Indians in a determination to chase and strike terror into the victorious tribe, and in concert with the Governor planned an expedition against them. The mission furnished money, arms, Indians and horses and the Presidio provided troops, headed by the alferez, Sanchez, a veteran who had been frequently engaged with the Indians and was acquainted with every part of their country. The troops carried with them their armour and shields as a defense against the arrows of the Indians; the armour consisted of a helmet and jerkin made of stout skins quite impenetrable to an arrow and the shield might almost vie with that of Ajax in the number of its folds.

The expedition set out on the 19th of November and we heard nothing of it until the 27th, but two days after the troops had taken the field some immense columns of smoke rising above the mountains in the direction of the Cosemenes bespoke the conflagration of the village of the Gentiles. And on the day above mentioned the veteran Sanchez made a triumphant entry into the mission of San Jose, escorting forty women and children, the gun that had been taken in the first battle and other trophies of the field. The victory was achieved with the loss of only one man on the part of the Christians, Jose Maria Garnez, who was mortally wounded by the bursting of his own gun; but on the part of the enemy it was considerable as Sanchez, the morning after the battle, counted forty-one dead Indians on the field.

MOST PRODUCTIVE MISSIONS.

"Formerly the missions had small villages attached to them in which the Indians lived in a filthy state. These have almost all disappeared since Vancouver's last visit, and the converts are disposed of in huts as before described; and it is only when sickness prevails to a great extent that it is necessary to erect these habitations. Sickness in general prevails to an incredible extent in all the missions, and on comparing the census of the years 1786 and 1813 the proportion of deaths appears to be increasing. At the former period there had been only 7701 Indians baptised out of which 2388 had died; but in 1813 there had been 37,437 deaths to only 57,328 baptisms. The establishments are badly supplied with medicines and the reverend fathers are generally ignorant of the use of them.

"The most productive farms are held by the missions of San Jose, Santa Clara, San Juan and Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz is rich in supplies, probably on account of the greater demand by merchant vessels, whalers in particular, who not unfrequently touch there the last thing on leaving the coast and take on what vegetables they require. A quantity of grain such as wheat and Indian corn is annually raised in all the missions except San Francisco, which, notwithstanding it has a farm at Burri Burri, is sometimes obliged to have recourse to the other establishments. The land requires no manure and yields on an average twenty for one. San Jose reaps 3000 hundred weight of wheat annually.

"Hides and tallow constitute the principal riches of the missions and the staple commodity of the commerce of the country. San Jose mission, which possesses 15,000 head of cattle, cures about 8000 hides annually and as many botas of tallow, which are either disposed of by contract to a mercantile house in Monterey or to vessels in the harbor. Through there [are] a great many sheep in the country, as may be seen by the Mission San Jose alone possessing 3000, yet there is no export of the wool in consequence of the consumption of that article in the manufacture of cloth for the missions.

AGRICULTURE WAS BACKWARD.

"Husbandry is still in a very backward state and it is fortunate that the soil is so fertile and that there are an abundance of laborers to perform the work, or I verily believe the people would be contented to live upon acorns. Their plows appear to have descended from the patriarchal ages. It will scarcely be credited that there were seventy plows and 200 oxen at work upon a piece of light ground of ten acres; nor did the overseers appear to consider that number unnecessary as the padre called our attention to this extraordinary advancement of the Indians in civilization, and pointed out the most able workmen as the plows passed us in succession. The greater part of these plows followed in the same furrow without making much impression until they approached the padre, when the plowman gave the necessary inclination of the hand and the share got bold of the ground. It would have been good policy for the padre to have moved gradually along the field, by which he would have had it properly plowed, but he seemed quite satisfied with the performance. Several of the missions, but particularly that of Santa Barbara, make a wine resembling claret, though not near so palatable and they distill also an ardent spirit resembling arrack.

"In this part of California, besides the missions there are several pueblos or villages occupied by the Spaniards and their families, who have availed themselves of the privileges granted by the old Government and have relinquished the sword for the plowshare. There are also a few settlers who are farmers, but with the exception of these the country is almost uninhabited. I cannot convey a better idea of the deserted state of the country than by inserting a short narrative which I have compiled from the journals of three of my officers who traveled overland from San Francisco to 'the famous port of Monterey' to learn whether any supplies could be procured for ships."

Dr. Collie, the surgeon, Marsh, the purser, and Lieutenant Evans proceeded on the trip after securing a passport from the Governor. Their baggage was in charge of two Indian vaqueros, and their escort consisted of one dragoon. This little mounted cavalcade was preceded by ten loose horses, driven before as a relay, to be mounted when those ridden should become fatigued. In describing the dress of the dragoon Captain Beechey says:

"His dress consisted of a round, blue cloth jacket, with red collar and cuffs; blue velvet breeches, which, being unbuttoned at the knee, gave greater display to a pair of white cotton stockings cased more than half way in a pair of deerskin boots. A black hat, as broad at the brim as it was disproportionately low in the crown, kept in order by its own weight; a profusion of dark hair which met behind and dangled half way down the back in the form of' a thick queue. A long musket, with a fox skin bound around the lock, was balanced upon the pommel of the saddle; and our hero was further provided for defense against the Indians with a bull's-hide shield, on which, notwithstanding the revolution of the colony, were emblazoned the royal arms of Spain, and by a double-fold deerskin cuirass covering for his body. Thus accoutered, he bestrode a saddle which retained him in his seat by a high pommel in front and a corresponding rise behind. His feet were armed at the heels with a tremendous pair of iron spurs, secured by a metal chain, and were thrust in an enormous pair of wooden, box-shaped stirrups.

"Leaving the Mission of San Francisco, the party ascended the Sierra San Bruno, a chain of hills about 1000 feet in height. Winding through the Sierra San Bruno, they crossed a river of that name and opening out to the broad arm of the sea which leads from the port to Santa Clara and is confined between the chain they were traversing and the Sierra de los Bolbones, distinguished at a distance by a peaked mountain 3783 feet high by trigonometrical measurement. At noon they reached a small cottage named Burri Burri, twelve miles from San Francisco. The building was a small, miserable mud cottage full of holes, but afforded repose and some new milk. Its inhabitants had been engaged in tanning, in which process they used a liquid extracted from oak bark contained in a hide suspended by the four corners. They also collected in great quantities a very useful root called in that country amoles, which seemed to answer all the purpose of soap.

"From Burri Burri the travelers descended upon a plain having the name of Las Salinas [There is a later 'Las Salinas,' which is actually the modern Salinas. I'm guessing this one is a salt flat near San Mateo. - MF] and is probably overflowed occasionally. The number of wild geese which frequent it is extraordinary and would hardly be credited by anyone who had not seen them covering whole acres of ground and rising in myriads. They are said to arrive in California in November and remain until March. Their flesh in general is hard and fishy, but it was reported by Padre Luis Gil of Santa Cruz that those which have yellow feet are exceptions to this and are excellent eating.

Traveling onward the hills on their right, known in that part as the Sierra del Sur, began to approach the road, which, passing over a small eminence opened out on a wide country of meadow land, with clusters of fine oak free from underwood. Herds of cattle were grazing upon the rich pasture and numerous fallow deer, startled at the approach of strangers bounded of toward the hills. The party soon arrived at a miserable mud dwelling, before the door of which a number of half naked Indians were basking in the sun. Heaps of bones of various animals were lying about the place and sadly disgraced the park-like scenery around. This spot is named San Matheo and belongs to the mission of San Francisco. Quitting this spot they arrived at a farmhouse about half way between San Francisco and Santa Clara, called Las Pulgas (the Fleas), a name which afforded mirth to our travelers, but they soon learned that the name had not been bestowed without cause. It was a miserable habitation with scarcely any furniture, surrounded by decaying hides and bones. From there the plain still continued, animated with herds of horses, cattle and sheep grazing, but noble clusters of oaks were now varied with shrubberies which afforded retreat to numerous coveys of California partridges.

ARRIVE AT SANTA CLARA.

"The sun went down before they reached Santa Clara, distant by road about forty miles from San Francisco. It is situated on the extensive plain before described, and continued to be occupied by herds of cattle, horses, sheep, flocks of wild geese, jackals and bears, which, in the vicinity of Santa Clara, are by no means scarce. The buildings of the establishment, which was founded in 1768, consist of a church, the dwelling-house of the priests, and five rows of buildings for the accommodation of 1400 Indians. Attached to these are some excellent orchards producing an abundance of apples and pears. Olives and grapes are also plentiful and the padres are enabled to make from the latter about twenty barrels of wine annually. They besides grow a great quantity of wheat, beans, peas and other vegetables. On the whole this is one of the best regulated and most cleanly missions in the country. Its herds of cattle amount to 10,000 and horses there are about 300.

"A beautiful avenue of trees nearly three miles in length leads from the mission to the Pueblo of San Jose, the largest settlement of its kind in Upper California. It consists of mud houses miserably provided in every respect, and contains about 500 inhabitants - retired soldiers and their families, who under the old government were allowed the privilege of forming separate settlements of this nature and had a quantity of ground allotted to them for the use of their cattle. They are governed by an alcalde and have a chapel of their own.

"About nine leagues from Santa Clara they descended into the plain of Las Llagas, so called from a battle which took place between the first settlers and the Indians, in which many of the former were wounded. Stopping toward the extremity of this fertile plain at some cottages named Ranchas de las Animas, the only habitations they had seen since the morning, they dined upon some jerked beef, which, according to the old custom in this and other Spanish colonies, was served in silver dishes. Silver cups and spoons were also placed before our travelers, offering a singular incongruity with the humble wooden benches that were substituted for chairs, and with the whole arrangement of the room, which besides the hoard of smoking jerked beef, contained beds for the family and a horse harnessed to a flour mill. Leaving Llano de las Llagas they ascended a low range of hills and arrived at a river appropriately named Rio de los Paxaros, from the number of ducks which resort thither.

"Twilight approached as the party drew near the mission of San Juan after a ride of fifty-four miles. The bell was tolling for vespers as they alighted and gladly availed themselves of the accommodation offered by Padre Arroyo, who in hospitality and good humor endeavored to exceed the good father of Santa Clara. This worthy man was a native of Old Castile and had resided in California since 1804, dividing his time between the duties at his holy avocation and various ingenious inventions, among which was a water clock which commented with a bell at his bedside and which by being arranged at night could be made to give an alarm at any stated hour.

ETYMOLOGY OF CALIFORNIA.

"I cannot omit to mention Padre Arroyo's disquitation on the etymology of the name of the peninsula of California. It was never known why Cortes gave to the bay (he believed the gulf to be a bay) which he first discovered, a name which appears to be composed of the Latin words calida and fornax, signifying heat and furnace, which was afterward transferred to the peninsula. Venegas supposed it arose from some Indian words which Cortes misunderstood and Burney observes that some have conjectured the name to have been given on account of the heat of the weather, and says it has been marked that it was the only name given by Cortes which was immediately derived from the Latin language. It was thought in Monterey to have arisen in consequence of a custom which prevails throughout California, of the Indians shutting themselves in ovens until they perspire profusely. It is not improbable that the practice appeared so singular to Cortes that he applied the name of California to the country as being one in which hot ovens were used for singular purposes.

"Padre Arroyo, however, maintained that it was a corruption of colofon which, in the Spanish language, signifies resin, in consequence of the pine trees which yield that material, being so numerous. 'The first settlers,' said he, 'at the sight of those trees would naturally exclaim 'colofon,' which, by its similarity to Californo (in the Catalonian dialect, hot oven), a more familiar expression, would soon become changed.

"After quitting San Juan and winding among valleys, the party entered an extensive plain called 'Llano del Rey.' which, until their arrival, was in the quiet possession of numerous herds of deer and jackals. After traversing this plain they arrived at some cottages called Las Salinas, on the farm of an old Scotchman to whom the land was given for some service which he had rendered to the missions. Here they were surprised with the novel occurrence of having water brought to them in baskets which the Indians weave so close, that when wet they become an excellent substitute for bowls.

"As they approached Monterey pasture lands covered with herds of cattle succeeded wild scenery and trees of luxuriant growth, houses scattered over the plain, the fort and the shipping in the bay, announced the speedy termination of their journey. At 5 o'clock in the evening they alighted in the square at Monterey and met a kind reception from Mr. Hartnell, a merchant belonging to the firm of Begg & Co., in Lima, and who pressed them to accept the use of his house while they remained in town.

"Gonzales, the Governor to whom the party went to pay their respects, was an officer who had been raised by his own merit from the ranks to be captain of artillery and Governor of Monterey. His family was residing with him, and having been educated in Mexico, complained bitterly of their banishment to this outlandish part of the world, where the population, the ladies in particular, were extremely ignorant. Besides there were no balls or bull fights in Monterey; and for all the news they heard of their own country they might as well have been at Kamschatka. To compensate for those dreadful privations the ladies generally amused themselves in the evening by smoking and playing cards and relating the perils they encountered in the land journey from Mexico to the shores of the Pacific. Politeness and attention, however, were the characteristics of these good people, who offered our party every assistance in their power."

BEAR AND BULL CONTESTS.

The Blossom sailed on December 28th and in closing his narrative Captain Beechey says:

"There was to have been a fight between a bear and a bull, but for some reason it did not take place. This is a favorite amusement with the Californians, but it is of rare occurrence, as there is much trouble in getting a bear alive to the scene of combat, and there is also some risk and expense attending it. We were informed that when a fight is determined upon three or four horsemen are dispatched with lassos to the woods where the bears resort, and that when they come to an advantageous spot they kill a horse or bullock as bait and hide themselves in a wood. Sometimes they wait nearly a whole day before any of those animals appear, but when they come the men seize a favorable opportunity and rush upon them at different points with their lassos and entangle one of them until he is thrown upon the ground, when they manage to suspend him between their horses, while one dismounts and ties his feet together. He is then placed upon a hide and dragged home, during which time, they say, it is necessary to keep him constantly wet to allay his thirst and rage, which amounts almost to madness, and woe to him who should be near if he were to break away from his fastenings. The entangling of the animal, in the first instance, appears to be by no means devoid of risk, as in the case of the failure of a lasso it is only by speed that a rider can save himself and his horse. The bear being caught, two or three men are dispatched for a bull, which they lasso in an equally dexterous manner, catching him either by the horns or by whichsoever leg they please, in order to trip him up and retain him between them.

CALIFORNIANS THROWING THE LASSO
FROM AN OLD ENGRAVING OF 1825

"It is necessary to begin the fight as soon as the animals are brought in, as the bear cannot be tempted to eat, and is continually exhausting himself in his struggles for liberty. The two animals are then tied together by long rope and the battle begins, sometimes to the disadvantage of the bear, who is half dead with exhaustion, but in the end almost always proves fatal to the bull. It is remarkable that all the bears endeavor to seize the bull by the tongue, for which purposes they spring upon his head or neck and first grapple with his nose until the pain compels the bull to roar, when his adversary instantly seizes his tongue, pierces it with his sharp claws and is sure of victory. These battles were the everlasting topic of conversation with the Californians, who indeed have very little else to talk about.

"On the 28th," concludes Captain Beechey, "we took leave of our hospitable and affable friends, Martinez and Padre Tomaso, full of gratitude for their kindness and attention to our wants, weighed anchor and bade adieu to the port of San Francisco.

SITE OF BLOSSOM ROCK NAVIGATION TREES
This plaque is in Roberts Regional Recreation Area, right here.

SITE OF BLOSSOM ROCK NAVIGATION TREES

UNTIL AT LEAST 1851, REDWOOD TREES ON THIS SITE WERE USED AS LANDMARKS TO AVOID STRIKING THE TREACHEROUS SUBMERGED BLOSSOM ROCK IN SAN FRANCISCO BAY WEST OF YERB BUENA ISLAND. ALTHOUGH BY 1855 THE ORIGINAL STEMS HAD BEEN LOGGED, TODAY'S TREES ARE SPROUTS FROM THEIR STUMPS.

CALIFORNIA REGISTERED HISTORICAL LANDMARK NO. 962

PLAQUE PLACED BY THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION IN COOPERATION WITH THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT, AUGUST 23, 1986.

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