Page:History of California, Volume 3 (Bancroft).djvu/388

370 the puerto habilitado of California in the eyes of everybody but Don Juan and his San Diego friends.

Bandini's troubles, and especially his controversy with Angel Ramirez, constitute a prominent feature of commercial history at this period, even if they were not, as Don Juan was disposed to believe, the grand turning-point of Californian destinies. Bandini was, as we have seen, a leading spirit in the grand scheme of Híjar and Padrés, and in the Compañía Cosmopolitana. Though not able to close the port of Monterey in favor of San Diego as he wished, he did obtain an appointment as visitador, or inspector of the California custom-houses. He started for home with the colony in 1834, filled with the most enthusiastic hopes. Member of a great commercial company without ininvesting a cent of capital, in a sense the representative of the company in California, having at his disposal a stanch vessel, Híjar and Padrés in full possession of the political and military power, the mission wealth virtually under the control of his associates, and last, but far from least, himself provided with a commission by virtue of which he could remove such obstacles to his interests as might arise in the revenue department, the road to a princely fortune seemed broad and open before the ambitious ex-congressman.

The failure of the general scheme, in its political, military, and even commercial aspects, has been sufficiently noticed, and it is only of Bandini's experience as visitador that I have now to speak. He was not more successful than Híjar in securing recognition of his authority. In the autumn of 1834, soon after his arrival, he presented his credentials to Ramirez, the administrator, and announced his purpose to begin by inspecting the Monterey custom-house. Ramirez, of whom I shall have something to say later, was a man always disposed to look out for his own interests; and though supposed to be a partisan of the colony clique, he foresaw the triumph of Figueroa, and deemed it