The settlement of California was owing to the will of a pious Countess in Mexico, who left an immense fortune to christianize the heathen inhabitants of this country. About the year of 1670, an expedition, led by a missionary priest, and escorted by a company of soldiers and settlers, landed on the shores of California. The first attempts at colonizing the country were not successful, but by perseverence in repeated efforts the Spaniards at last succeeded in getting a foot-hold in this land. They gathered Indians about them, christianized them after their fashion, and made them _manzos_; soon, with their labor, Mission buildings were erected, farms put in order, cattle raised, and the Indians were instructed in various handicrafts. Finally, in course of time, through the whole length of the land, Missions were planted, and flourished; the Priests grew fat and rich, and the Indians became tame and industrious, and were well taken care of. The country smiled with abundance and the people were happy. Soon, settlers came into the country and planted themselves, very naturally, near the Missions, on which, at first, they depended for their worldly goods; but by degrees they sprung into _Pueblos_, viz. towns. These towns had lands alloted to them by leagues, which were to be used in common by all the inhabitants for their cattle; or if any of them wished to till a piece of land, by an application to the _alcalde_, if there were no objections by the inhabitants, he received a permit from the judge so to do, and as long as he or his heirs occupied it, no body had a right to disturb them. In this way it followed that the inhabitants of towns acquired small portions of land for their houses and tillage, while the rest of the town land was used in common for grazing. Under this arrangement of town property there was always enough land for all new settlers that might come to inhabit these _Pueblos_. This manner of disposing of town land, sanctioned by Mexican law, served as a precedent to the town authorities of San Francisco, Pueblo de San Jose, Santa Cruz and Monterey, when they, in 1847, disposed of a portion of the land belonging to those respective towns, giving perpetual leases to their possessors. This measure was particularly favorable to foreigners recently arrived in the country, as thus they were enabled to buy the rights of the natives who were not disposed to put much value upon so small parcels of land, and thereby the American interest was much promoted.