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Beneme Indians San Jose Noted
p 240| tule); they are of the Beneme nation and there were about 25 souls. I gave them of my little store (los regale con mi pobreza), and they did the same with their tule-roots, which my companions the Jamajabs ate with repugnance. The poor people manifested much concern at their inability to go hunting in order to supply me, inasmuch as it was raining and very cold, and they were entirely naked. Here grows the wild grape; there is much grass; also mezquites and trees that grow the screw.14 This nation is the same as that of San Gabriel, Santa Clara, and San Joseph.15 They have some baskets (coritas) like those of the Canal (de Santa Barbara). They have coats of otter, |
14 Arboles que crian el tornillo, literally as above rendered. This is the screw-mezquite, Prosopis pubescens.
15 Of San Gabriel more anon, when we come to it. For Santa Clara see note ', p. 257. San Joseph is frequently written instead of the Spanish form, San Jose, in annals of this period; the mission of this name was not founded till June n, 1797, and the first pueblo in Upper California was not established till Nov. 29. 1777- This was named San Jose, more fully San Jose de Guadalupe from the river on which it was situated, sometimes called San Jose de Alvaredo for the governor, sometimes San Jose de Galvez for the visitador general of that name, who in a pronunciamiento of Nov. 21, 1768, appointed St. Joseph patron or overseer at large of the operations about to be undertaken for the new conversions of California, because his image had driven away locusts from San Jose del Cabo in 1767. But this Pueblo de San Jose is not the place meant by Garces; he means the Valle de San Joseph which he names beyond, Mar. 22, and
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Here grows the wild grape; there is much grass; also mezquites and trees that grow the screw.