Page:History of California, Volume 3 (Bancroft).djvu/628

610 Of the presidio buildings nothing is known except that they were abandoned in 1835 or a little earlier, and in ruins long before 1840. Probably much of the material was brought down to build the little town of 30 or 40 houses that had sprung up at the foot of the hill. After Castro's raid of Christmas 1838, earthworks were hastily thrown up on the ridge for the town's protection, and a cannon was brought over from the castillo. This castillo, or fort, at Point Guijarros, had no garrison or guard after 1835, if it had one before. An investigation in 1839 showed the existence of nine cannon, two of them serviceable, with 50 canisters of grape and 300 balls. It was intended to put a guard in charge of this property, but the enterprise failed; and in January 1840, the remnants of the fort and casa mata were sold to Juan Machado for $40. A few of the guns were perhaps removed; one may still be seen at San Diego; and the rest, after being spiked by an American captain in 1842, are said to have been thrown into the bay during the war of 1846-7.