Page:History of California (Bancroft) volume 6.djvu/40

 iig men

Such is  the  detail  of  the  picture  which  I  wish  to present  of  central  and  northern  California  in  Jan- uary 1848. I will  complete  it  with  some  generalities of physical  features  and  population,  thus  giving  as  a whole  the  inhabitants  and  their  environment.

It is  the  dawn  of  history  in  these  parts,  presently to be  followed  by  a  golden  sunlight  flooding  the whole western  world. All along  the  centuries  Cali- fornia had lain  slumbering,  wrapt  in  obscurity,  and lulled by  the  monotone  of  ocean. The flrst  fitful dreams of  explorers  in  search  of  an  ever-eluding strait, of  cities  stored  with  treasures,  had  subsided into pastoral  scenes,  with  converts  and  settlers  clus- tering round white-walled  missions  in  the  shadow  of the  cross. Then came  the  awakening,  impelled  by  a ruder  invasion  of  soldiers  and  land-greedy  backwoods- men, the premonitory  ripple  of  international  interest and world-absorbing  excitement.

Strewn lavishly  about  is  what  men  most  covet,  those portions of  nature's  handiwork  called  wealth  and wealth-making material,  the  acquisition  of  which  is  the great burden  progressive  men  conventionally  lay  upon themselves as  the  price  of  their  civilization. These resources reveal  themselves  in  the  long  snow-clad uplands of  the  Sierra,  with  their  timber  and  metals,  in the  nbrthern  foothills,  revelling  in  perennial  spring, and in  the  semi-tropic  vegetation  of  the  central  and southern valleys. The extremes  of  heat  and  cold,  of desert  aridity  and  unhealthy  rankness,  are  rare  and of small  extent,  serving  rather  to  illustrate  as  rem- nants the method  and  means  of  nature  in  producing one of  her  masterpieces. Such are  the  unsightly marshes in  different  localities;  the  Colorado  desert bordering the  river  of  that  name,  and  its  link  along the eastern  declivity  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  with  the great basin  of  the  interior,  which  in  the  south  is marked  by  a  dismal  stretch  of  bare  ridges  and  inter- vening valleys of  sand  and  volcanic  scoria,  with  occa- sional muddy salt  pools  and  cracked  surfaces  frosted