Page:History of California, Volume 3 (Bancroft).djvu/288

 CHAPTER X.

FIGUEROA, CASTRO, AND GUTIERREZ THE COLONY.

1834–1835.

THUS far all had gone well with the empresarios, but obstacles were now encountered that were destined to prove insurmountable. The first and most serious had its origin in Mexico. On the 25th of July, 1834, some six days before the colony sailed, President Santa Anna, having taken the reins of government into his own hands in place of Vice-president Gomez Farias, issued an order to Figueroa not to give up the office of gefe politico to Hijar on his arrival in California, as he had been ordered, and had promised to do. We have no official information respecting the motive that prompted this countermand; bat there can be no doubt that Santa Anna regarded as excess-