Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/52

 penalties.

Upon the  assertion  of  M.  Duflot  de  Mofras  mainly rests the  discovery  of  gold  at  San  Isidro,  in  San Diego county  by  a  man  from  Guanajuato  about  1828. " A  San  Isidro,"  he  says  in  the  first  volume  of  his  Ex- ploration du Territoire  de  V  Oregon,  des  Californies,  et  de la  Mer  VermeiUe,  Paris,  1844,  "h,  quatorze  lieues  dans Test  de  San  Diego,  on  trouve  des  mines  d'or  et  d'ar- gent  qui  furent  exploitees  il  y  a  quinze  ans  par  un homme  de  Guanajuato."

Padre Viader,  a  priest  at  Mission  Santa  Clara,  is said  to  have  possessed  the  gift  of  prophecy. Two years before  it  occurred,  he  foretold  the  drought  of 1829,  and  advised  the  people  to  prepare  for  it,  and plant double  the  usual  area. He likewise  predicted the discovery  of  gold  in  California,  and  the  transfer of that  land  to  another  nationality. This reminds one of  the  many  signs  and  omens  pointing  to  the  fall of Monteruma,  and  the  Mexican  conquest,  which  oc- cured during  the  century  precedmg  that  event.

Another prophet,  who  died  in  1830,  was  Padre Magin Catala,  of  this  same  mission. Among other things he  predicted  that  great  riches  would  be  found in the  north,  and  that  people  would  flock  thither  in great  numbers. It is  safe  to  affirm  that  among  peo- ple of extraordinary  piety  no  important  event  ever happens but  that  after  the  occurrence  many  persons can be  found  who  said  that  it  would  be  so.

And now  for  the  statement  of  a  savage  among others who  testify. Puleule, a  Yuba,  swore,  as  soon as he  had  acquired  that  civilized  accomplishment,  that when he  was  a  boy,  say  in  1830,  he  had  often  amused himself by  picking  from  the  gravel  large  pieces  of gold  and  throwing  them  into  the  water.

Manuel Victoria  writing;;  the  Mmistro  de  Relaciones says in  1831  that  there  are  no  mines  of  any  value  m California ;  that  the  pagans  know  of  none ;  and  that it is  the  opinion  of  experts  that  there  are  no  minerals in the  country.

The unreliable  editor  of  T/ie  Natural  Wealth  of  Call-