find a married couple with less than five or six children, while there
are hundreds who have from twelve to fifteen. Very few of them die in
their youth, and in reaching the age of puberty are sure to see their
grand-children. The age of eighty and one hundred has always been
common in this climate; most infirmities are unknown here, and the
freshness and robustness of the people show the beneficial influence of
the climate; the women in particular have always the roses stamped on
their cheeks. This beautiful species is without doubt the most active
and laborious, all their vigilance in duties of the house, the
cleanliness of their children, and attention to their husbands,
dedicating all their leisure moments to some kind of occupation that
may be useful towards their maintenance. Their clothing is always clean
and decent, nakedness being entirely unknown in either sex.

"_Ports and Commerce_.--There are four ports, principal bays, in this
territory, which take the names of the corresponding presidios. The
best guarded is that of San Diego. That of San Francisco has many
advantages. Santa Barbara is but middling in the best part of the
season; at other times always bad. Besides the above-mentioned places,
vessels sometimes anchor at Santa Cruz, San Luis Obispo, El Refugio,
San Pedro, and San Juan, that they may obtain the productions of the
missions nearest these last-mentioned places; but from an order sent by
the minister of war, and circulated by the commandante-general, we are
given to understand that no foreign vessel is permitted to anchor at
any of these places, Monterey only excepted, notwithstanding the
commandante-general has allowed the first three principal ports to
remain open provisionally. Were it not so, there would undoubtedly be
an end to all commerce with California, as I will quickly show.

"The only motive that induces foreign vessels to visit this coast is