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There is no record of any blood being shed in this first "Battle of San Diego," although the ship was considerably damaged. Her rigging was struck several times early in the action, and while abreast of the fort in the narrow channel several balls struck her hull, one of which was "between wind and water." Safe out of the harbor, the terrified guard, who expected nothing less than death, were set on shore. Here they relieved their feelings, first by falling on their knees in prayer, and then by springing up and shouting, "Vivan, vivan los Americanos!" Page 91 ["El Capitan" cast in Manila in 1783] ["El Nino" which came with the Spaniards....] There is no doubt that Corporal Velasquez and his men did everything in their power to sink the Lelia Byrd. The battery was stimulated by the presence of the fiery commandant, and, perhaps, the corporal thought it prudent to make a showing of zeal, in view of his previous conduct. Captain Cleveland expresses the opinion that the contraband skins were offered them treacherously, for the express purpose of involving them in difficulties. It is a fact, however, that the corporal was placed under arrest for his part in the two affairs of the Alexander and the Lelia Byrd, accused of engaging in forbidden trade. The priest in charge of the Mission of San Luis Rey also wrote the commandant and asked for the return of one hundred and seventy skins which his Indian neophytes had smuggled on board the Alexander, doubtless by his own direction; but he was refused. The animation of the controversy which raged over these otter skins, actually ending in a battle between an American ship and the Spanish fort, naturally suggests a question as to what they were worth in dollars and cents. The question is rather difficult to answer, because the value of these furs fluctuated over a wide range at different times and varied again Page 92 with the different markets in which they were bought and sold. It is probable that the thousand skins at that time in possession of the commandant were worth at San Diego not far from $7,000 or $8,000, and that they could have been sold in China for five or ten times that amount. The margin of profit which could have been made on a successful transaction would have represented a good fortune, for those days, for the owners of the Lelia Byrd. And now comes the melancholy part of the story--melancholy or ludicrous, as the reader pleases. After all the trouble they had made, those valuable furs never did anybody good. They rotted before they could be legally disposed of and three years later were thrown into the sea! But the dignity of Spain had been vindicated. The affair of the Lelia Byrd, which caused a tremendous excitement at the time, was long talked of on the Pacific Coast. They were still gossiping about it when Richard Henry Dana visited San Diego, thirty-three years later. The story was always told in a way to reflect great credit upon the Americans, though it is likely that they would have preferred less credit--and the otter skins. In January, 1804, Captain Joseph O'Cain, on a trading expedition in the O'Cain, ventured to call and ask for provisions. He had been mate of the Enterprise when she
was at San Diego, three years earlier. He had no passport and his request was refused. While his ship was in the harbor, a negro sailor named John Brown deserted from her and was afterward sent to San Blas. Probably he was the first negro ever seen in San Diego. There is no record of any American visitors in 1805, but there was much perturbation in Spain and Spanish America respecting the supposed designs of the United States upon California. Upon Governor Arrillaga's arrival, early in 1806, more stringent measures were taken to prevent contraband trade. It had become something of a custom for the American trading ships to avoid the ports and, by standing off and sending boats ashore, to carry on their trade at will. The Peacock, Captain Kimball, anchored off San Juan Capistrano in April, ostensibly for the purpose of securing provisions. Four men were sent ashore in a boat, but they were seized and sent to San Diego. The ship soon after appearing off the harbor, the men broke jail and endeavored to rejoin her, but without success. They were therefore obliged to return to the Presidio and later were sent to San Blas. The names of these men were: Tom Kilven, mate; a Frenchman, boatswain; Blas Limcamk and Blas Yame, sailors from Boston. They were the first Americans to occupy a prison in San Diego. Page 93 [Burial of James O. Pattie on Presidio Hill] In the summer of this year another craft whose name is not known with certainty, but which is said to have been under the command of Captain O'Cain, was off the coast and gave the San Diego military establishment some trouble and a good deal of fright. The Spanish accounts call her the Reizos, and it is possible she was the Racer, which was here in July. The captain, having asked for supplies and an opportunity to make repairs and been refused, went to Todos Santos, in Lower California, where he took water forcibly and made prisoners of three guards who had been sent to watch his movements. He then came back and endeavored to exchange his prisoners for the four men from the Peacock; this failing, he threatened to attack and destroy the fort and Presidio. Hurried preparations were made for meeting the attack, but Captain O'Cain thought better of the matter and sailed away, releasing his prisoners. The Racer was at San Diego again in 1807, and the Page 94 [Judge Witherby's Chair] Mercury, Captain George Eyres, in the following year. These were the last foreign ships which came for several years. Again the annals of the quiet years grow scanty. The military force fluctuated slightly, officials came and went, quarrelled and became reconciled, and the ebb and flow of frontier life went on with scarcely a ripple. In 1804 the sum of $688 was set apart by the Viceroy for the construction of a flatboat, twenty-five feet long, to be used as a means of transportation between Fort Guijarros and the Presidio. This boat was actually built and used many years. Evidently
Page 1 and 2: History of San Diego 1542-1908, An
Page 3 and 4: the story of it was handed down fro
Page 5 and 6: convenient, and well sheltered," an
Page 7 and 8: Page 36 ably the prophecy of a grea
Page 9 and 10: priests who were to go, some by sea
Page 11 and 12: they approached San Diego they met
Page 13 and 14: Page 47 water in the river, and it
Page 15 and 16: The San Antonio had sailed for San
Page 17 and 18: hilltop on that fateful morning and
Page 19 and 20: 1774, to make a new start and to la
Page 21 and 22: ans who had gone to the Presidio re
Page 23 and 24: sionary zeal knew no bounds. Better
Page 25 and 26: tions, the Franciscan enthusiasts w
Page 27 and 28: eholder, but serves to show the sim
Page 29 and 30: Page 72 looked with longing eyes up
Page 31 and 32: ciated with the pioneers of pioneer
Page 33 and 34: 1800. Their successors were José P
Page 35 and 36: income outside their pay. The chief
Page 37 and 38: Page 86 [Presidio Hill Today] Page
Page 39: were left as a guard to see that th
Page 43 and 44: Argüello arrived he found that the
Page 45 and 46: agriculture successfully.. By 1790
Page 47 and 48: firm. The Sachem did not call at Sa
Page 49 and 50: 1834, Roxana. 1835, Pilgrim. 1836,
Page 51 and 52: passed to the American Government.
Page 53 and 54: The story of the American whaling t
Page 55 and 56: Ex-Mission of San Diego Santiago Ar
Page 57 and 58: Late in 1826, the governor ordered
Page 59 and 60: where the transfer of office was ma
Page 61 and 62: In 1831, the first revolution, whic
Page 63 and 64: civil rule. They constituted the fi
Page 65 and 66: ored to raise a force to renew the
Page 67 and 68: Before turning to the brighter days
Page 69 and 70: he published in 1832 told some rema
Page 71 and 72: provided, greatly to the delight of
Page 73 and 74: pending American invasion, there we
Page 75 and 76: The different classes of society we
Page 77 and 78: for on these occasions no invitatio
Page 79 and 80: Even a funeral was made the occasio
Page 81 and 82: sic, and towards the end of the eve
Page 83 and 84: and a feast held, after which games
Page 85 and 86: had to be stalked on foot, or in bo
Page 87 and 88: food was passed around in plates or
Page 89 and 90: Page 161 PART II. CHAPTER VI. PROMI
Page 91 and 92:
He died on his Tia Juana ranch in 1
Page 93 and 94:
"Among our passengers was a young m
Page 95 and 96:
lar, but overindulgent and careless
Page 97 and 98:
MARRON, Sylvester. Son of Juan Mar
Page 99 and 100:
of his small stature. Wilkes ridicu
Page 101 and 102:
pressed them because she did not ca
Page 103 and 104:
Dana has also left his opinion on r
Page 105 and 106:
El Cajon, where he seized Chief Jaj
Page 107 and 108:
to stop, the narrow defiles affordi
Page 109 and 110:
Page 187 shall, a renegade sailor f
Page 111 and 112:
The line of march was by way of the
Page 113 and 114:
mand: "Ready ! Aim! Fire!" and Anto
Page 115 and 116:
next morning, she saw the body hang
Page 117 and 118:
"Potrero"--Including Rincon, Gapich
Page 119 and 120:
served in the archives of the gover
Page 121 and 122:
mission, where a few rangers were t
Page 123 and 124:
pedition he was about to send out m
Page 125 and 126:
Page 212 fell back. A ranger now da
Page 127 and 128:
crepancy is only in the number of w
Page 129 and 130:
Of the adventures of these men on t
Page 131 and 132:
the baggage was burned, as it was t
Page 133 and 134:
Choosing the latter course, Kearny
Page 135 and 136:
The Mormons, then as now objects of
Page 137 and 138:
24. William Power. 25. Peter Gribbi
Page 139 and 140:
SECOND PRECINCT-POLL LIST. Pursuant
Page 141 and 142:
The first term of the district cour
Page 143 and 144:
seized. He wanted to know what he s
Page 145 and 146:
new settlement sprouting on the sit
Page 147 and 148:
"There was then no doctor at Old To
Page 149 and 150:
flats near his residence, having a
Page 151 and 152:
wood and to look out for vessels th
Page 153 and 154:
The coastwise trade opened briskly
Page 155 and 156:
E. Mason, and was the occasion of g
Page 157 and 158:
chants and mechanics, who intended
Page 159 and 160:
"Your jurors in the within case of
Page 161 and 162:
It will now be in order to give som
Page 163 and 164:
On April 5, 1851, he married Ysidor
Page 165 and 166:
Past Master's jewel, which the latt
Page 167 and 168:
where he lived for twenty years. In
Page 169 and 170:
postmaster in 1853-4, trustee again
Page 171 and 172:
any pecuniary liability without the
Page 173 and 174:
old and active Freemason and a memb
Page 175 and 176:
el between Governor Smith and his c
Page 177 and 178:
Town. Mrs. Smith died recently. Est
Page 179 and 180:
WITHERBY, Oliver S. Judge Witherby
Page 181 and 182:
After the discovery of gold, he joi
Page 183 and 184:
Ames cast in his lot with the new t
Page 185 and 186:
It is probable that on account of h
Page 187 and 188:
men as Garrison and Sumner, who are
Page 189 and 190:
"Lo, I am an editor! Hasn't Ames go
Page 191 and 192:
"Like unto the great Napoleon after
Page 193 and 194:
the editorial column, under the nam
Page 195 and 196:
How they ought not to let Oregon ge
Page 197 and 198:
Page 318 carried also eight or ten
Page 199:
Page 321 [Charles P. Noell] slight
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