Page:History of California, Volume 3 (Bancroft).djvu/718

700 since the foundation had life in the peninsula establishments been more monotonous and uneventful than in this decade. Even the stirring scenes of the revolution and following sectional quarrels in 1836-8 had little effect on the tranquillity of San Francisco, except that a few of its citizens went abroad to serve in the patriot, or rebel, army, and the rest were kept busy in awaiting and discussing news from Monterey and the south. Belcher, Petit-Thouars, and Laplace made some explorations in the bay without having any remarkable experiences or embodying much information in their published narratives respecting the state of affairs on shore. A small fleet of traders anchored each year in the port, but matters connected with commerce, vessels, and revenue have been pretty fully recorded elsewhere in chapters specially devoted to those subjects at all the ports.

The presidial cavalry company varied in 1831-4 from 40 to 30 men rank and file, besides six or eight inválidos, half of this force or more being absent on escolta duty at the missions of Santa Clara, San José, San Rafael, and Solano, and the effective force of the