longer so simple and joyous. A change had begun, and not many years
later, with the coming of the Americans at the time of the Mexican war,
the peaceful, happy life of Spanish California was brought to an end.



Chapter VI

The Footsteps of the Stranger



At no point does the early history of California come in contact with
that of the colonies of the Eastern coast of the United States. The
nearest approach to such contact was in the year 1789, when Captain
Arguello, commander of the presidio of San Francisco, received the
following orders from the governor of the province:--

"Should there arrive at your port a ship named Columbia, which, they
say, belongs to General Washington of the American States, you will take
measures to secure the vessel with all the people aboard with
discretion, tact, cleverness, and caution." As the Columbia failed to
enter the Californian port, the Spanish commander had no chance to try
his wits and guns with those of the Yankee captain.

It would seem as though the Californians lived for a time in fear of
their Eastern neighbors, since prayers were offered at some of the
missions that the people be preserved from "Los Americanos;" but after
the coming of the first two or three American ships, when trade began to
be established, there arose the kindliest feeling between the New