Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/222



•210 'XHE    VOYAGE  TO   CALIFORNIA.

is another  entrance,  which,  though  deep  enough,  is  too narrow for  safety.

This port,  the  best  on  the  western  coast  of  Mexico, and the  half-way  station  between  Panama  and  San Francisco, can  safely  harbor  five  hundred  ships. It is part  of  an  immense  basin  cut  in  gra.nite  rocks — a coarse-gramed  granite  like  that  of  Fichtelberg  and Carlsbad, toothed  and  rent  like  the  Catalonian  Mount- serrat. Its shores  are  so  steep  that  vessels  can  lie almost under  the  chaparral  that  overhangs  its  banks. Surrounded by  mountains  rising  on  every  side  from six hundred  to  three  thousand  feet,  the  listless  ocean air seems  inadequate  to  drive  out  the  pent-up  exhala- tions from an  undrained  swamp  filled  with  decaying vegetable matter ;  and  the  town,  which  has  the  name of being  the  hottest  place  on  the  route,  is  considered quite unhealthy. For weeks  the  thermometer  stands at 120°  in  the  shade  at  mid-day. In early  days  a  gap was cut  in  the  hills  to  admit  a  current  of  air ;  it  was also used  as  a  roadway,  and  the  great  gash  is  pointed to travellers  as  a  specimen  of  Spanish  energy  and capability in  the  olden  time. On a  strip  of  soft  white sand encircling  the  bay  grow  cocoa-palms,  their  long green arms  and  smooth  stems  bending  with  fruit ;  and the amata,  or  tree  of  love,  ofiers  its  umbrella  form  and magnetic influence  to  all  who  choose  to  avail  themselves of its  ravishing  shade.

Tune was  when  this  port  was  more  famous  through- out the world  than  that  of  New  York,  or  any  other along the  border  of  the  firm  land  of  America,  if  we except  Vera  Cruz  and  Panama. Under Spanish  ruL., it lay  in  the  line  of  travel  from  the  Philippine  islands across Mexico  to  Vera  Cruz,  over  which  route  annual caravans of  loaded  mules  carried  the  wares  of  China, Japan, and  the  Spice  islands,  thence  shipped  to  Spain. Enjoying a  monopoly  of  the  Manila  trade,  it  was  fre- quented by galleons  which  annuall}^  dispensed  their rich cargoes  to  merchants  who  flocked  down  from  the ';apital to  make  their  purchases,  and  who  at  the  same