Spanish and Indian Place Names of California: Their Meaning and Their RomanceA.M. Robertson, 1922 - 443 pages |
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Common terms and phrases
66 Sahn Agua Arroyo bears Calaveras Cali called Cañada canyon cisco coast Corral corruption county-seat creek diary Dorado expedition famous Father feet fornia Fremont Fresno County Gabriel Moraga gold hill Indian name Indian village Indian word Inyo County island Kroeber Laguna Lake Land grant Loma Luis Obispo County Marin County Mariposa meaning Mendocino County Merced miles northwest miles southeast Mission of San Monte Monterey County Moraga mountain Napa native north of San northwest of San origin padres Pinos Portolá Potrero probably pronounced Punta ranch Ranchería reference Rincón Río river Rodéo Sacramento saint San Bernardino County San Diego County San Francisco San Joaquín San José San Juan San Luis Obispo Santa Bárbara Santa Bárbara County Santa Clara says Shasta shore Sierra Nevada Sonoma Spaniards Spanish name spelled Stanislaus story stream surname town trees Tribes of California Tulare Vallejo Vista wild Yosemite
Popular passages
Page 15 - Know that on the right hand of the Indies there is an island called California, very close to the side of the Terrestrial Paradise; and it was peopled by black women, without any man among them, for they lived in the fashion of Amazons.
Page 177 - Jesus, who stood before him in the midst of angels, having on His shoulders the half of the cloak he had bestowed on the beggar. And Jesus said to the angels that were around him, " Know ye who hath thus arrayed me ? My servant Martin, though yet unbaptized, has done this.
Page 194 - ... narrow ridge of broken hills, terminating in a precipitous point, against which the sea breaks heavily. On the northern side, the mountain presents a bold promontory, rising in a few miles to a height of two or three thousand feet. Between these points is the strait— about one mile broad in the narrowest part, and five miles long from the sea to the bay. To this Gate I gave the name of Chrysopylte, or GOLDEN GATE; for the same reasons that the harbor of Byzantium (Constantinople afterwards)...
Page 193 - Nova Albion, and that for two causes : the one in respect of the white banks and cliffs, which lie towards the sea: and the other, because it might have some affinity with our country in name, which sometime was so called.
Page 299 - ... dress. They immediately crowded around us, and we had the inexpressible delight to find one who spoke a little indifferent Spanish, but who at first confounded us by saying there were no whites in the country; but just then a well-dressed Indian came up, and made his salutations in very well-spoken Spanish.
Page 94 - ... no other tools than those made of flint; they are ignorant of the use of iron and steel, or know very little of the great utility of these materials, for we saw among them some pieces of knives and sword-blades which they used for no other purpose than to cut meat or open the fish caught in the sea. We saw, and obtained in exchange for strings of glass beads and other trinkets, some baskets or trays made of reeds, with different designs; wooden plates and bowls of different forms and sizes, made...
Page 15 - Amazons. They were of strong and hardened bodies, of ardent courage, and of great force. The island was the strongest in the world, from its steep rocks and great cliffs. Their arms were all of gold; and so were the caparisons of the wild beasts which they rode, after having tamed them; for in all the island there is no other metal. They lived in caves very well worked out; they had many ships, in which they sailed to other parts to carry on their forays.
Page 273 - ... houses were of bark, sometimes thatched with grass and covered with earth: the bark was loosened from the trees by repeated blows with stone hatchets, the latter having the head fastened to the handle with deer sinew. Their ordinary weapons were bows and stone-tipped arrows. The women made finely woven conical baskets of grass, the smaller ones of which held water. Their amusements were chiefly dancing and football; the dances, however, were in some degree ceremonial. Their principal deity was...
Page 177 - ... prayed that it might be revealed to him if any martyr rested there. Soon a dark form appeared, and told St. Martin that he was a robber whose soul was in hell, and whose body rested beneath him, where he stood. Then the saint destroyed the chapel and altar, as he did those of the pagans. He was once invited to sup with the emperor. The cup was passed to Martin, before his majesty drank, with the expectation that he would touch it to his lips, as was the custom. But a poor priest stood behind...