Chapter VI: Part 6

_Sonora_, named for the province of Sonora in Mexico, is the capital of Tuolumne County, and is situated ninety miles southeast of Sacramento. It received its name from the large number of Sonorans from the Mexican province who mined there in the very early days. This is a mining period name and has no real connection with Spanish names.

_Tenaya Peak_ in Yosemite Valley is named for Ten-ei-ya, chief of the Yosemite Indians.

_Vallecito_ (little valley), is in Calaveras County, fifty-five miles northeast of Stockton.

_Wawona_, in Mariposa County, is said by some authorities to be a Moquelumnan word meaning “big tree,” but this definition is regarded by ethnologists with doubt.

CAMINO REAL

_Camino Real_ (royal road, or the King’s highway). The Camino Real was the road connecting the missions, and was the chief means of intercourse between the different settlements during the early years of the state’s history. After American occupation the road fell into disuse, but at present is being reconstructed along the old route, with many extensions and branches, and will, when finished, be one of the finest roads in the United States.

PRONUNCIATION OF SPANISH NAMES.

While it scarcely falls within the province of this book to enter into an elaborate discussion of the matter of pronunciation of Spanish names, it is thought desirable to present a few of the simplest rules, with some examples, so that persons unacquainted with the language may avoid at least the worst of those pit-falls set for their inexperienced feet by our nomenclature. It should be mentioned that in California the Spanish-American usage, rather than the Castilian, is followed in the pronunciation of the c and z. The rules of pronunciation quoted here are those given in Ramsey’s text books, generally regarded as excellent authority.

VOWELS.

_A_ sounds like _a_ in _ah_, midway between the English _a_ in _father_ and that in _fat_. Example, _Pala_, pronounced _Pah´lah_.

_E_ sounds like _a_ in _hay_, its sound being slightly varied according to situation. Example, _Rode´o_, pronounced _Ro-day´o_.

_I_ sounds like _ee_ in _bee_. Example, _Vista_, pronounced _Vees´tah_.

_O_ sounds like _o_ in _hope_. Example, _Contra Costa_, pronounced _Cone´trah Coast´ah_. This name is frequently mispronounced by using the short sound of _o_, as in _not_.

_U_ sounds like _u_ in _rule_. Example, _La Punta_, pronounced _La Poon´tah_.

_Y_, when a vowel, is equivalent to _i_. _Y_ is considered a vowel only when standing alone, as in _y_ (the conjunction _and_), or at the end of a word, as in _ley_ (law), but is sometimes used interchangeably with _I_ at the beginning of a word, as in _San Ysidro_, pronounced _San Ee-see´dro_, and sometimes spelled _Isidro_. In other cases it is a consonant and is pronounced like the _y_ in the English _yard_.

CONSONANTS.

Only those consonant sounds differing from English usage need be mentioned here.

_C_ has two sounds. Before _e_ and _i_ it is pronounced like _s_ in _seat_, that is, in Spanish-American usage; examples, _Cerro_, pronounced _Ser´ro_, and _Cima_, pronounced _See´mah_. In all other cases _c_ has the sound of _k_; examples, _Carlos_, pronounced _Kar´loce_, _Colorado_, pronounced _Ko-lo-rah´do_ (each _o_ long, as in _hope_), _Cuesta_, pronounced _Kwes´tah_, and _Cruz_, pronounced _Kroos_.

_Ch_ has the sound of _ch_ in _church_. Example, _Chico_, pronounced _Chee´ko_.

_D_ is slightly softened, and when occurring between vowels and at the end of words it is almost like _th_ in _then_. Examples, _Andrade_, pronounced _Ahn-drah´-dthay_, and _Soledad_, pronounced _Sole-ay-dadth_.

_G_ has two sounds. Before _e_ and _i_ it has the sound of strongly aspirated _h_. Examples, _German´_, pronounced _Hare-mahn´_, and _giro_, pronounced _hee´ro_. In all other cases it sounds like _g_ in _go_. Examples, _Gaviota_, _Goleta_, _Guadalupe_, _Granada_. In _gue_ and _gui_ the _u_ is regularly silent; exceptions to this rule are marked by the diaeresis, as in _Argüello_, pronounced _Ar-gwayl´yo_, or in Spanish-American, _Ar-gway´yo_.

_H_ is silent except in the combined character _ch_. Example, _La Honda_, pronounced _La On´dah_, with long _o_, as in _hope_.

_J_ has the sound of strongly aspirated _h_. Examples, _Pájaro_, pronounced _Pah´hah-ro_, and _San José_, pronounced _San Ho-say´_. This letter is one of the worst stumbling-blocks in the pronunciation of Spanish names.

_Ll_ has the sound of the letters _lli_ in the English _million_, but in many parts of Spanish-America it is pronounced like _y_ in _beyond_. The latter is not considered an elegant pronunciation. Example, _Vallejo_, properly pronounced _Val-yay´ho_, but in Spanish-American, _Va-yay´ho_.

_N_ has the sound of the letters _ni_ in the English _pinion_. Example, _Cañada_, pronounced _Can-yah´dthah_.

_Q_ only occurs before _ue_ and _ui_, and sounds like _k_, the following _u_ being always silent. Example, _San Quintín_, pronounced _San Keen-teen´_.

_S_ has the hissing sound of _s_ in _say_, _base_, and is never pronounced like _sh_ as in _mansion_, or _z_ as in _rose_. Thus in _Santa Rosa_ the _s_ is sharply hissed and is not pronounced as _Santa Roza_.

_Z_ is sounded in Spanish-America like sharply hissed _s_, as in _say_ or _base_. Example, _Zamora_, pronounced _Sah-mo´rah_.

A peculiarity of pronunciation common to almost all Spaniards is the confusion of the _b_ and the _v_ so that one can hardly be distinguished from the other. Vowel sounds are pronounced shortly and crisply, never with the drawling circumflex sound sometimes heard in English. Without going into the complications of the division of syllables, it may be stated that the fundamental principle is to make syllables end in a vowel as far as possible; examples, _Do-lo-res_ (not _Do-lor-es_), _Sa-li-nas_ (not _Sal-in-as_).

ACCENT.

All words ending in _n_ or _s_ or a vowel are regularly accented on the next to the last syllable; examples, _Sausalíto_, _Altúras_, _cómen_. All others are accented on the last syllable; examples, _San Rafael´_, _Avenal´_. In words following the above rules no mark is used, but in the exceptions, which are many, the stress must be indicated by the written accent. Examples, _Portolá_, _Jolón_, _Álamo_, _Los Ángeles_.

ARTICLES.

In the Spanish language articles agree with their nouns in gender and number. The forms of the definite article are _el_ (singular) and _los_ (plural) for the masculine, _la_ (singular) and _las_ (plural) for the feminine. Examples, _El Portal_ (the portal, or gate), _Los Gatos_ (the cats), _La Paz_ (the peace), _Las Vírgenes_ (the virgins).

LIST OF NAMES MOST LIKELY TO BE MISPRONOUNCED, WITH THEIR PHONETIC PRONUNCIATION.

_Agua_ pronounced _Ah´gwah_. Spanish Americans often
mispronounce this word by leaving out
the _g_, calling it _ah´wa_.

_Aguajito_ ” _Ah-gwah-hee´to_.

_Alameda_ ” _Ah-lah-may´dthah_.

_Los Ángeles_ ” _Loce Ahng´hell-ess_.

_Asunción_ ” _Ah-soon-see-on´_, with the _o_ long, as
in _hope_.

_El Cajón_ ” _El Kah-hon´_, with the _o_ long, as in
_hope_.

_Camino Real_ ” _Kah-mee´no Ray-ahl_´.

_Cañada_ ” _Kahn-yah´dtha_, with the _d_ slightly
softened like _th_ in _then_.

_Carpintería_ ” _Kar-peen-tay-ree´ah_.

_Carquínez_ ” _Kar-kee´ness_.

_Conejo_ ” _Ko-nay´ho_.

_Corral_ ” _Kore-rahl´_.

_Dolores_ ” _Do-lo´ress_.

_Farallones_ ” _Fah-rahl-yo´ness_, in Spanish-American,
_Fa-rah-yo´ness_.

_Los Gatos_ ” _Loce Gah´tos_, the _o_ long, as
in _hope_.

_Guadalupe_ ” _Gwa-dah-loo´pay_.

_La Jolla_ ” _La Hole´yah_, or in Spanish-American,
_Ho´yah_.

_La Joya_ ” _La Ho´yah_.

_La Junta_ ” _La Hoon´tah_.

_Laguna Seca_ ” _Lah-goo´nah Say´cah_.

_Lagunitas_ ” _Lah-goo-nee´tas_.

_Matilija_ ” _Mah-tee-lee´hah_.

_Merced_ ” _Mare-sedth´_, with the _d_ slightly
softened like _th_ in _then_.

_Mesa_ ” _May´sah_.

_Ojo_ ” _O´ho_, with the _j_ strongly aspirated.

_Pájaro_ ” _Pah´hah-ro_.

_Paso Robles_ ” _Pah´so Ro´blace_.

_Portolá_ ” _Por-to-lah´_.

_Punta Arenas_ ” _Poon´tah Ah-ray´nas_.

_Rodéo_ ” _Ro-day´o_.

_Salinas_ ” _Sah-lee´nas_.

_San Gerónimo_ ” _Sahn Hay-ro´nee-mo_.

_San Jacinto_ ” _Sahn Hah-seen´to_.

_San Joaquín_ ” _Sahn Wha-keen´_.

_San José_ ” _Sahn Ho-say´_.

_San Juan Bautista_ ” _Sahn Whan Bau-tees´ta_.

_San Julián_ ” _Sahn Hoo-lee-ahn´_.

_San Luís Obispo_ ” _Sahn Loo-ees´ O-bees´po_.

_San Martín_ ” _Sahn Mar-teen´_.

_San Quintín_ ” _Sahn Keen-teen´_, colloquially spelled
_Quentin_.

_Santa Fé_ ” _Sahnta Fay´_.

_Santa Inez_ ” _Sahnta Ee-ness´_.

_San Ysidro_ ” _Sahn Ee-see´dro_, also spelled _Isidro_.

_Suñol_ ” _Soon-yole´_.

_Vallejo_ ” _Val-yay´ho_, in Spanish-American
_Vah-yay´ho_.

_Las Vírgenes_ ” _Las Veer´hen-ess_.

Used by the courtesy of Father Engelhardt.]

FINAL LIST AND INDEX

_Abalone_ (the great sea-snail of the Pacific Coast). See page 75.

_Acampo_ (common pasture). See page 282. This name is used here in the sense of “camp,” and was given by the Southern Pacific Railroad years ago, in reference to a camp of wood choppers and Chinese which was located there.

_Acolito_ (acolyte), is in Imperial County.

_Adelante_ (onward, forward), now changed to Napa Junction, is in Napa County. This place was called _Adelante_ in the hope that its location on Napa River would cause it to become the principal city of the valley.

_Adobe_ (sun-dried brick).

_Agua_ (water), is in very common use in referring to springs, usually accompanied by a qualifying adjective. See page 339. This word is usually mispronounced by Spanish Americans.

_Agua Amargosa_ (bitter water). See page 154.

_Agua Caliente_ (hot water, hot spring). See pages 76 and 259.

_Agua Cayendo_ (falling water).

_Agua Dulce_ (sweet water, fresh water).

_Agua Fria_ (cold water, cold spring).

_Agua Hedionda_ (stinking water, sulphur spring).

_Aguaje del Centinela_ (water hole, or watering place of the sentinel), the title of a land grant.

_Agua del Medio_ (middle spring).

_Aguajito_ (little water hole). Near Monterey, in a delightful little glen, there were a number of these springs, or water holes, where the women were in the habit of doing the town washing, kneeling upon the ground and washing the clothing directly in the springs. This place was called _Los Aguajitos_ (the water holes), by the Spanish residents, and “washerwoman’s canyon” by the Americans. In the pastoral days of California, entire families climbed into their ox-carts, made with solid wooden wheels, and, provided with a liberal lunch basket, made a picnic of “blue Monday” under the green trees of _Los Aguajitos_ canyon. See page 339.

_Agua Mansa_ (still water, smooth-running current). One writer, for what reason does not appear, defines this as “house water.” This place is in Southern California, near Colton.

_Agua Puerca_ (dirty or muddy water).

_Agua Puerca y las Trancas_ (muddy water and the bars, or stiles). This was the peculiar title of a land grant, based, no doubt, upon some trivial circumstance now forgotten. One writer has translated it as “water fit for pigs and Frenchmen,” a gratuitous insult to the French people of which the Spaniards were not guilty. This writer evidently mistook the word _puerca_ (muddy or dirty) for _puerca_ (sow), and by some strange twist of the imagination, seems to have taken _trancas_ to mean Frenchmen!

_Agua Tibia_ (tepid or warm water, warm spring). See page 36.

_Agua de Vida_ (water of life).

_Aguilar_ (the place of eagles).

_Las Águilas_ (the eagles). _Real de las Águilas_ means the “camp of the eagles.”

_Ahwanee_ (an Indian place name), popularly but not authentically translated as “a deep or grassy valley,” is the name of a place in Madera County.

“_A-wa-ni_ was the name of a large village standing directly at the foot of Yosemite Fall.”—(Powers’ _Tribes of California_.)

_Alameda_ (an avenue shaded by trees, or a cottonwood grove). This word is derived from _álamo_, a poplar tree known in the West as cottonwood. See pages 208 and 339.

_Los Alamitos_ (the little cottonwoods). See page 76.

_Álamo_ (cottonwood). See page 227.

_Los Álamos_ (the cottonwoods). See page 105.

_Los Álamos y Agua Caliente_ (the cottonwoods and hot spring), the title of a land grant.

_Alcalde_ (mayor, justice of the peace). This place is in the southern part of Fresno County.

_Alcatraz_ (pelican), see page 203.

_Alessandro_ (Alexander). This place is in Riverside County.

_Alhambra_, near Los Ángeles, was named for the famous Alhambra of Spain. The Alhambra was an ancient palace and fortress of the Moorish monarchs of Granada in Southern Spain, probably built between 1248 and 1354. The word signifies in Arabic “the red,” and was perhaps given to this building in allusion to the color of the bricks of which the outer walls are constructed. “The marvelous beauty of the architecture of this structure has been greatly injured by alterations, earthquakes, etc., yet it still remains the most perfect example of Moorish art in its final European development.”

_El Alisal_ (alder grove).

_Aliso_ (alder), see page 76.

_Los Alisos_ (the alders).

_Almadén_ (mine, mineral). See page 178.

_Alta_ (high). See page 329.

_Alto_ (high), is near San Francisco.

_Los Altos_ (the heights), is about fifteen miles from Los Gatos.

_Altúras_ (heights). See page 259.

_Alvarado_ (a surname). See page 227.

_Alviso_ (a surname). See page 178.

_Amador_ (a surname). See page 310.

_Amargosa_ (bitter). See page 328.

_American River._ See page 299.

_Anacapa Island._ This name is Indian, but the popular story that it means “vanishing island, disappearing island,” is probably not authentic. “_Anacapa_ is a corruption of Vancouver’s Indian name of the island, _Enneeapah_; the engraver spelled it _Enecapah_ on the chart, and subsequent compilers have endeavored to give it a Spanish form.”—(Geo. Davidson in _United States Coast and Geodetic Survey_.)

_Andrade_ (a surname). This place is near Calexico.

_Los Ángeles_ (the angels). See pages 51 and 339.

_Angel Island._ See page 204.

_Las Ánimas_ (the souls). See page 65.

_Año Nuevo_ (new year). See page 157.

_Aptos_ is said to be an Indian name, meaning “the meeting of two streams,” in reference to Valencia and Aptos Creeks. As this was a method of naming very much in vogue among the Indians, it is likely that this is the true explanation of Aptos.

_Arena_ (sand). See page 259.

_Las Arenas_ (the sands).

_Punta de Arenas_ (sandy point), a cape on the coast of Mendocino County.

_Argüello_ (a surname). See page 106.

_Armada_ (fleet, squadron). The Armada was the name of the great fleet sent against England by Philip II in 1588. Whether the name of this town, situated in Riverside County, has this origin has not been ascertained.

_Las Aromitas y Agua Caliente_ (the little perfumes and hot spring), title of a land grant.

_Aromas_ (the odors, perfumes), is in San Benito County.

_Arroyo_ (a creek or small stream). The designation _arroyo_ is sometimes applied to the dry bed of a former stream. It does not, as is sometimes thought, refer only to a bed with steep sides, but is applied as well to shallow streams flowing through level country.

_Arroyo de la Alameda_ (creek of the cottonwood grove).

_Arroyo Buenos Aires_ (creek of the good airs). See page 282.

_Arroyo del Burro_ (jackass creek).

_Arroyo Chico_ (little creek). See page 283.

_Arroyo de los Dolores_ (creek of the sorrows). Dolores Creek in San Francisco was so-named “because this was the Friday of Sorrows.”

_Arroyo de los Gatos_ (creek of the cats—wild-cats).

_Arroyo Grande_ (big creek). See page 127.

_Arroyo Hondo_ (deep creek). See page 179.

_Arroyo de la Laguna_ (creek of the lagoon).

_Arroyo Medio_ (middle creek).

_Arroyo de las Nueces y Bolbones_ (creek of the walnuts and Bolbones). The meaning of Bolbones has not been ascertained, but it may have been the name of an Indian tribe.

_Arroyo del Norte_ (creek of the north).

_Arroyo Real de las Águilas_ (creek of the camp of the eagles).

_Arroyo del Rodéo_ (creek of the cattle round-up).

_Arroyo Seco_ (dry creek). See page 157.

_Asfalto_ (asphalt), incorrectly spelled _asphalto_, is in southwestern Kern County.

_Asunción_ (ascension). See pages 97 and 339.

_Atascadero_ (bog-mire). See page 127. The Atascadero is one of the largest ranches in the state, comprising 22000 acres.

_Avena_ (oats), is in Inyo County.

_Avenal_ (a field sown with oats). See page 127.

_Avenales_ (wild oats).

_Avila_ (a surname), eight miles from San Luís Obispo, was probably named for a pioneer family of Los Ángeles.

_Azusa._ See page 77. This is the name of a place in Los Ángeles County.

_El Bailarín_ (the dancer). See page 99.

_Ballena_ (whale). See page 39.

_Bandini_ (a surname). See page 77.

_Los Baños_ (the baths), is in Merced County, thirty-five miles southwest of Merced. This place was so-called from the creek, which has large, deep pools of clear water that were used by the early inhabitants as a bathing place.

_Barranca_ (ravine).

_La Barranca Colorada_ (the red ravine).

_Barril_ (barrel).

_Barro_ (clay).

_Batata_ (sweet potato), is in Merced County, and is so-called because it lies in the best sweet potato growing district in California.

_Baulines_, see page 228.

_Bella Vista_ (beautiful view).

_Bellota_ (acorn), is in San Joaquín County.

_Benicia_ (a surname). See page 223.

_Berenda_, probably a misspelling of _berrenda_ (female antelope), is in Madera County.

_Berrendo_ (antelope). See page 40.

_Berrendos_ (antelopes). See page 40.

_Berros_ (water-cresses), is in San Luís Obispo County.

_Berryessa_ (a surname).

_Blanco_ (white). See page 157. In early days an American named Thomas White lived near the present town of Blanco. His name was translated into the Spanish form for white, _blanco_, by the native residents, and the place became known by that name.

_Boca_ (mouth), in this case refers to the mouth of the Truckee River, in Nevada County.

_La Boca de la Cañada del Pinole_ (the mouth of the valley of the cereal meal). This was a land grant, which received its peculiar name from the fact of the Spaniards having been compelled to live on pinole while they awaited the return of a party with supplies from Monterey. See _Pinole_, page 231.

_Boca de la Playa_ (mouth of the beach).

_Boca de Santa Mónica_ (mouth of Santa Mónica).

_Bodega_ (a surname). See page 259.

_Bolinas_, probably a corruption of _Baulines_, an Indian word. See page 228.

_Bolsa_ (pocket), often used to mean a “shut-in place.” See page 78.

_La Bolsa_ (the pocket), is near Newport Beach.

_Las Bolsas_ (the pockets).

_Bolsa de Chamisal_ (pocket of the wild cane, or reeds). The chamisal, sometimes incorrectly spelled chemisal, is defined in the dictionaries as wild cane, or reed, but in California, at least, it is applied to a “shrub attaining a height of six or eight feet. Its thickets are almost impassable except by bears or similar animals, as the branches are low and very stiff and tough. In some places men are only able to penetrate it by crawling.”—(Mr. Charles B. Turrill.)

_Bolsa Chica_ (little pocket).

_Bolsa de las Escorpinas_ (pocket of the perch.)

_Bolsa Nueva y Moro Cojo_ (new pocket and lame Moor). The word _Moro_ was often used to mean anything black, as, for instance, a lame black horse, for which the Moro Cojo Rancho, near Monterey, is said to have been named.

_Bolsa del Pájaro_ (pocket of the bird).

_Bolsa del Potrero_, _y_ _Moro Cojo ó la Sagrada Familia_ (pocket of the pasture, and the lame Moor or the Holy Family). This is the combined name of several land grants.

_Bolsa de San Felipe_ (pocket of St. Philip).

_Bonito_ (pretty). See page 228.

_La Brea_ (the asphalt). See page 54.

_El Buchón_ (the big craw). See page 127.

_Buena Vista_ (good view).

_Bueyes_ (oxen).

_Los Burros_ (the donkeys, or jackasses), is in San Luís Obispo County.

_Cabeza_ (head).

_Dos Cabezas_ (two heads).

_Cabeza de Santa Rosa_ (head of St. Rose).

_Cabezón_ (big head). See page 78.

_Cabrillo_ (a surname), the name of a cape on the coast of Mendocino County. See page 259.

_Cádiz_, between Needles and Barstow, was probably named for the well-known Spanish city of the same name. “In naming the stations on the Southern Pacific Railroad from Mojave to Needles going east, an alphabetical order was used, Barstow, Cádiz, Daggett, etc., until Needles was reached.”—(Mr. Charles B. Turrill.)

_Cahto_, Mendocino County, Indian, probable meaning “lake.”

_Cahuenga_, near Los Ángeles, is an Indian name, that of a former village.

_Cahuilla_, is said to be a corruption of the Indian word Ka-wia. See page 78.

_El Cajón_ (the box, or canyon). The name of _El Cajón_ was first given to a valley lying about fifteen miles east of San Diego. The valley comprises about 16,000 acres of level land entirely surrounded by hills several hundred feet high, thus presenting a box-like appearance that gave rise to its name. See pages 41 and 339.

_Cajón Pass_ is in San Bernardino County.

_Calabazas_ (pumpkins), see page 79.

_Calaveras_ (skulls). See page 311.

_Calexico_, on the border of Lower California, is a hybrid word made up of the first part of California and the last of Mexico. Its counterpart on the Mexican side is _Mexicali_, in which the process is reversed.

_Caliente_ (hot). See page 282.

_Caliente Creek._ See page 41. This creek was so-named because its water is warm.

_California_, see page 13.

_Calistoga_, see page 259.

_Calneva_ and _Calvada_ are two more hybrids, made up of syllables from California and Nevada.

_Calor_, near the Oregon line, is likely to cause confusion by its resemblance to the Spanish word _calor_, (heat); this Calor is one of those composite words to which Californians are so regrettably addicted, and is made up of the first syllables of California and Oregon.

_Calpella_ was named for the chief of a village situated just south of the present town, near Pomo, in Mendocino County. The chief’s name was Kalpela.

_Calzona_ is another trap for the unwary, through its resemblance to the Spanish word _calzones_ (breeches); it is one more of those border towns bearing names made up of the syllables of two state names, in this case, California and Arizona.

_Camanche_, a post town in Calaveras County, was so-named in honor of the great Camanche, or Comanche tribe, whose remarkable qualities are thus described by Father Morfi in his _Memorias de Texas_, a document written about the year 1778: “The Comanche nation is composed of five thousand fighting men, divided into five tribes, each with a different name. They are very superior to all the others in number of people, extent of the territory that they occupy, modesty of their dress, hospitality to all who visit them, humanity towards all captives except Apaches, and their bravery, which is remarkable even in the women. They live by hunting and war, and this wandering disposition is the worst obstacle to their reduction, for it induces them to steal. Nevertheless, they are very generous with what they have, and so proud that one alone is capable of facing a whole camp of enemies if he cannot escape without witnesses to his flight.” Both spellings are used in the original records.

_Camaritas_ (small cabins or rooms). The application of this name has not been ascertained. It may refer to Indian huts seen by the Spaniards, or may have a totally different meaning.

_Camino Real_ (royal road, or the King’s highway). See page 339.

_Campo_ (a level field, a camp, the country). See page 41.

_El Campo_ (the field or camp), places in Marin and San Diego Counties.

_Campo de los Franceses_ (field or camp of the Frenchmen).

_Campo seco_ (dry field or camp), in Calaveras County.

_Camulos_, or _Kamulas_. See page 105.

_Cañada_ (valley or dale between mountains). See page 339.

_Cañada de los Alisos_ (valley of the alders).

_Cañada del Bautismo_ (valley of the baptism). See page 41.

_Cañada de los Capitancillos_ (valley of the little captains).

_Cañada de la Carpintería_ (valley of the carpenter-shop). See page 100.

_Cañada de los Coches_ (valley of the pigs). _Coche_, used in the sense of “pig”, is a Mexicanism, said to have originated in the state of Sonora.

_Cañada del Corte de Madera_ (valley of the wood-cutting place).

_Cañada del Hambre y las Bolsas_ (valley of hunger and the pockets), a name said to have been given to this canyon because some Spanish soldiers nearly perished of starvation there. A _bolsa_ is a pocket, or shut-in place.

_Cañada Larga_ (long valley).

_Cañada de los Muertos_ (valley of the dead).

_Cañada de los Nogales_ (valley of the walnut-trees).

_Cañada de los Noques_ (valley of the tan-pits).

_Cañada del Osito_ (valley of the little bear). See page 127.

_Cañada de los Osos y Pecho y Islay_, valley of the bears and breast (perhaps referring to Pecho Mountain in San Luís Obispo County), and wild cherry. _Islay_ is said to be a California Indian word meaning wild cherry. Islais Creek, San Francisco, may take its name from the wild cherry.

_Cañada de los Pinos_ (valley of the pines).

_Cañada de Raymundo_ (valley of Raymond).

_Cañada del Rincón en el Río San Lorenzo de Santa Cruz_ (valley of the corner section on the river San Lorenzo of Santa Cruz).

_Cañada de Sal si Puedes_ (valley of “get out if you can”). See page 109.

_Cañada de San Felipe y las Ánimas_ (valley of St. Philip and the souls).

_Cañada Segunda_ (second valley).

_Cañada de los Vaqueros_ (valley of the cow-boys).

_Cañada Verde, y Arroyo de la Purísima Concepción_ (green valley and creek of the immaculate conception).

_Capay_, in Yolo County, is Indian, but its meaning has not been ascertained.

_Capistrano_, see page 35.

_El Capitán_ (the captain), the name of a precipice in the Yosemite Valley.

_Capitán_ (captain), the name of a flag station in Santa Bárbara County. It was named for a ranch owned by Captain Ortega, which was called _Capitán_, in reference to his title.

_Capitán Grande_ (big captain). The origin of this name has not been ascertained.

_La Carbonera_ (the charcoal pit).

_Carnadero_, a corrupt word used to mean “butchering-place.”

_Carne Humana_ (human flesh). See page 246.

_Carneros_ (sheep). _Carnero_ is especially applied to sheep used for mutton, rather than wool.

_Carpintería_ (carpenter-shop). See pages 100 and 339.

_Carquínez._ See pages 228 and 339.

_Carriso_ (large water bunch grass or reed-grass). See page 42.

_Casa Blanca_ (white house). See page 79.

_Casa Grande_ (big house). This place was so-called by the Spanish explorers on account of an unusually large Indian house they saw here. They speak of finding a “large village of many houses, and among them one extremely large.” This place is not to be confused with the famous _Casa Grande_ in Arizona.

_El Casco_ (the skull, or outside shell of anything). See page 79. As _casco_ also has the meaning of potsherd, or fragment of a broken vessel, a theory has been deduced that it was so-called because of a resemblance between the hollow in the hills where the place is located and a potsherd. This is one of those extremely far-fetched theories which are not likely to have any basis in fact.

_Castac_, an Indian word. The Castake was one of several tribes occupying the country from Buena Vista and Kern Lakes to the Sierra Nevada and Coast Range. Castake Lake in the Tejón Pass region derives its name from this tribe. According to Professor A. L. Kroeber, _castac_ means “my eyes.”

_Castroville_, a composite word made up of Castro, a surname, and the French _ville_ (town). The Castro family was perhaps the most numerous in California. Its most prominent member was General José Castro, of whom Bancroft says: “The charges against him of mal-treatment of settlers were unfounded. His conduct was more honorable, dignified, and consistent than that of Fremont, and he treated immigrants with uniform kindness. He was not a very able man, but energetic, popular, true to his friends, and in public office fairly honest. An injustice has been done him in painting him as a cowardly, incompetent braggart. He was at one time Commandante General of California.” The town of Castroville, named for this prominent family, is near Monterey.

_Catalina_, see page 62.

_Cayeguas_ was named for a former Indian village near San Buenaventura. This village was among those mentioned in the mission archives.

The meaning of the word _Cayeguas_ is “my head.”—(A. L. Kroeber.)

_Cayucos._ See page 127.

_Cazadero_ (hunting-place). See page 260.

_Centinela_ (sentinel).

_El Centro_ (the center), three miles from Imperial and so-named because it is practically the center of the valley. This name is recent.

_Cerro_ (hill), near Sacramento.

_Cerro Chico_ (little hill).

_Cerro Gordo_ (fat, thick hill). See page 329.

_Los Cerritos_ (the little hills), in Los Ángeles County.

_Los Cerros_ (the hills).

_Cerro de las Posas_ (hill of the pools or wells). The translation “hill of the seat” has been given to this by one writer, apparently without any justification. _Posa_, or _poso_, was in constant use among the Spaniards in the sense of “pool” or “well.”

_Cerro del Venado_ (hill of the deer).

_El Chamisal_ (thicket of wild cane or reed).

_Chico_ (little). See page 282.

_Chileno_ (Chilean, native of Chile). See page 260.

_Las chimeneas_ (the chimneys), old volcanic rock shaped like chimneys. This place is in San Luís Obispo County.

_Chino_, a word which may mean a Chinese, or a person with curly hair. The town of Chino, in San Bernardino County, took its name from the land grant called _Santa Ana del Chino_, but why the grant was so-called has not been ascertained.

_Chiquita_ (little).

_Chiquito Peak_ (little peak), is in Fresno County.

_Cholame_ was the name of an Indian tribe. See page 128.

_El Chorro_ (a gushing stream of water). This place is in San Luís Obispo County.

_Chowchilla_ was the name of a Yokuts tribe of the Central Valley. See page 283.

_Chualar._ See page 157.

_Chula Vista_ (pretty view). See page 42.

_Ciénega_ (swamp), is in Los Ángeles County.

_Las Ciénegas_ (the swamps).

_Las Cienegitas_ (the little swamps).

_Ciénega del Gabilán_ (the swamp of the hawk).

_Ciénega de los Paicines_, swamp of the Paicines (Indian tribe).

_Cima_ (summit), between San Bernardino and Las Vegas.

_Cimarrón_ (wild, unruly). The Spaniards applied this word to plants or animals indiscriminately, sometimes using it in reference to the wild grapes which they found growing in such profusion in California, sometimes in reference to wild Indians. The writer who translated it as “lost river” must have drawn upon his imagination for that definition.

_Cisco._ See page 329.

_Los Coches_ (the pigs).

_Codornices Creek_ (quail creek).

_Cojo_ (lame). See page 106.

_Ranchería del Cojo_ (village of the lame one), so-called from a lame Indian seen there.

_Coloma_, a town in El Dorado County, so-named from the Koloma tribe, a division of the Nishinam family. It was at this place that Sutter’s Mill, where gold was discovered in 1848, was situated, and it is also there that the native sons erected a monument to John W. Marshall.

_Colorado_ (red).

_Colusa_, an Indian word, meaning not ascertained. See page 265.

_Concepción._ See page 106.

_Conejo_ (rabbit), is the name of several places. See pages 79 and 339.

_Conejo Peak_ (rabbit peak), is in Ventura County.

_Contra Costa_ (opposite coast). See page 229.

_Cordero_ (literally “lamb”), but probably a surname here.

_Córdova_, near Sacramento. Córdova or Córdoba is the name of a province of the Argentine Republic, in South America. Cattle raising is its chief industry. The California town may have been directly named for the city of Córdova in Mexico.

_Corona_ (crown).

_Coronado Beach_, see page 29.

_Corral_ (yard, enclosed piece of ground). See pages 157 and 339.

_Los Corralitos_ (the little yards).

_Corral de Piedra_ (yard enclosed by a stone fence). See page 158.

_Corral de Tierra_ (earth corral). See page 158.

_Cortina_, a town in Colusa County. _Cortina_, the Spanish word for “curtain,” is a corruption of _Kotina_, the name of the chief of a former village near the east bank of Cortina Creek.

_Coso Mountains_, in Inyo County, were named for the Coso or Cosho Indians.

_La Costa_ (the coast). See page 42.

_Cosumne_, a word of Indian derivation, said to mean “fish, salmon.” See page 272. If the theory that the suffix _umne_ means “place of” be correct, then it may be that the meaning of Cosumne is “place of fish,” probably referring to salmon fisheries.

_Cotate_, in Sonoma County, derived its name from a former Indian village. Mr. George Page, whose family have been in possession of the Cotate ranch since 1849, states that he has never been able to ascertain the meaning of the word.

_Coyote_ (western wolf). See pages 42 and 179.

_Los Coyotes_ (the wolves).

_Crucero_, a word having several meanings, possibly in this case “cross-roads.”

_Las Cruces_ (the crosses), is in Santa Bárbara County.

_Cruz_ (cross). _Santa Cruz_ (holy cross). See page 153.

_Cucamonga_, in San Bernardino County, derived its name from an Indian village. See page 80.

_Cueros de Venado_ (hides of deer), the name of a land grant.

_Cuesta_ (hill, ridge, slope of a hill). Cuesta is the name of the old stage road leading from Santa Margarita to San Luís Obispo. It was so named because the road came over the crest of the Santa Lucía range. See page 128.

_Cuyamaca._ See page 42.

_Cypress Point._ See page 145.

_Dehesa_ (pasture ground), is in San Diego County.

_Delgada Point_ (thin, or narrow point). See page 260.

_De Luz_ (literally “of light”), but in this case a surname.

_Del Mar_ (of the sea). Modern.

_Del Monte_ (of the wood or hill). The Hotel del Monte, near Monterey, was so called from the grove of magnificent live-oaks in which it stands. Modern.

_Del Norte_ (of the north), is the name of the county in the extreme northwestern corner of the state.

_Del Paso_ (of the pass).

_Del Rey_ (of the king).

_Del Río_ (of the river).

_Del Rosa_ (of the rose). Unless this is a surname, the construction is incorrect, and should be _De la Rosa_.

_Descanso_ (rest). See page 43.

_Diablo_ (devil). See page 217.

_Dolores_ (sorrows, pains). For Mission Dolores See pages 194 and 339.

_El Dorado_ (the gilded man). See page 300.

_Dos_ (two).

_Dos Cabezas_ (two heads).

_Dos Palmas_ (two palms).

_Dos Palos_ (two sticks, or trees). See page 283.

_Dos Pueblos_ (two towns). See page 106.

_Dos Valles_ (two valleys).

_Duarte_ (a surname). See page 80.

_Dulzura_ (sweetness). See page 43.

_Point Duma_, on the coast north of San Pedro, was named by Vancouver for “the reverend friar Father Francisco Duma, priest at Buena Ventura,” as an expression of his gratitude for the father’s courtesy in furnishing the explorers with abundant supplies of vegetables from the mission gardens.—(Mr. Charles B. Turrill.)

_Eliseo_ (Elisha).

_Embarcadero_ (landing-place). There were a number of _embarcaderos_ in the state, in Sonoma, Santa Clara and other places. The street skirting the San Francisco water front is now called the _Embarcadero_, having been recently changed from East Street.

_Encanto_ (enchantment, charm), is in San Diego County. Encanto “was so named on account of its especially pleasant climate, being frostless, and always cool in the summer, with beautiful views of the ocean and bay and the city of San Diego. It was named by Miss Alice Klauber.”—(W. A. Shaules.)

_Encinal_ (oak woods), is in Santa Clara County.

_Encinal y Buena Esperanza_ (oak woods and good hope), the combined name of two land grants.

_Las Encinitas_ (the little live-oaks). See page 43.

_El Encino_ (the live-oak). See page 211.

_Ensenada_ (bay), used often by the Spaniards in referring to a large, wide-open bay.

_Entre Napa_ (between Napa), the name of a land grant referring to the land between Napa Creek and Napa River.

_Entre Napa ó Rincón de los Carneros_, combined name of two land grants (between Napa or corner of the sheep).

_Escalón_ (step), is the name of a place twenty miles from Stockton, on the Santa Fé Road. According to Mr. Romane Moll, a resident of Escalón, the word is used in the sense of “stepping-stone,” and was taken from a city in Mexico, where an important battle was fought during the recent revolution.

_Escondido_ (hidden). See page 43.

_El Escorpión_ (the scorpion).

_Esmeralda_ (emerald). See page 330.

_Espada_ (sword). See page 102.

_Esparto_ (a sort of tough feather grass). See page 283.

_Esperanza_ (hope). See page 283.

_Espinosa_ (a surname). This place is in Monterey County.

_Espíritu Santo_ (holy ghost).

_Esquón_ (a surname).

_Estero_ (an estuary or creek into which the tide flows at flood time).

_Los Esteros_ (the estuaries). See page 128.

_Estero Americano_ (American Estuary).

_Estrada_ (a surname). This place is in Monterey County.

_Estrella_ (a star). See page 128.

_Estudillo_ (a surname). Near San Leandro.

_Etiwanda_, in San Bernardino County, is a transplanted Indian name, given in honor of an Indian chief of Michigan, by Mr. George Chaffey, founder of the California colony.

_Falda_ (skirt, slope of a hill). In San Diego County.

_Famoso_ (famous), is in Kern County. The origin of this name has not been ascertained.

_Fandango Peak_ is in Modoc County. The _fandango_ is a Spanish dance. Its application in this case has not been ascertained.

_Farallones_ (small pointed islands in the sea). See pages 212 and 339.

_Feather River_, see page 297.

_Felipe_ (Philip).

_Feliz_ (happy, fortunate), also a surname.

_Fernández_ (a surname).

_Fernando_ (Ferdinand).

_Point Firmin_, north of San Pedro, was named by Vancouver for the father president of the Franciscan Order.—(Mr. Charles B. Turrill.)

_Las Flores_ (the flowers). See page 80.

_Fortunas_ (fortunes). Cape Fortunas is on the coast of Humboldt County, north of Cape Mendocino. See page 260.

_Fresno_ (ash tree). See page 277.

_Gabilán_, or _Gavilán_ (hawk). See page 159.

_Las Gallinas_ (the chickens), in Marin County. A tribe called _Gallinomero_ occupied Dry Creek and Russian River below Healdsburg, and there may be some connection between this name and Las Gallinas Rancho in Marin County. Las Gallinas may be a mere corruption of Gallinomero.

_Gamboa Point_, on the coast of Monterey County. _Gamboa_ is a surname.

_García_ (a surname). See page 260.

_Garvanza_ (chick-pea). See page 80.

_Los Gatos_ (the cats). See pages 177 and 339.

_Gaviota_ (sea gull). Probably so called from the large number of these birds which frequent the mouth of the little creek that flows into the sea at this point. See page 107.

_Germán_ (a surname of a pioneer family).

_Golden Gate._ See page 197.

_La Goleta_ (the schooner). This place is said to have been so called because a schooner was stranded there in early days. See page 107.

_Gonzales_ (a surname). See page 159.

_Gorda_ (fat). See page 159.

_Graciosa_ (graceful, witty).

_Granada_ is twenty-seven miles from San Francisco, on the Ocean Shore Line, and was probably named for the province in Spain of the same name. Granada also means pomegranate.

_Las Grullas_ (the cranes). See page 159.

_Guadalupe_ (a Christian name). See pages 107 and 340.

_Guadalupe y Llanitos de los Corréos_ (Guadalupe and the plains of the mails), combined name of two land grants. _Corréos_ (mails), may have been used in reference to mails brought by messenger to the Spaniards while they were encamped upon these plains.

_Gualala._ See page 260.

_Guenoc_, an Indian word, meaning not ascertained.

_Los Guilicos_, in Sonoma County, named for a former Indian tribe living in Napa County, near Santa Rosa.

_Guinda_ (fruit of the wild cherry). This place is in Yolo County, near Woodland.

_La Habra_ (the opening, or pass), here refers to an opening in the hills, and is situated a short distance southeast of Whittier, in Orange County.

_Hermosa_ (beautiful). See page 80.

_Hermosillo_, probably named for the town of Hermosillo in Mexico.

_Hernández_ (a surname), is in San Benito County.

_Hetch Hetchy._ A deep valley in the Sierra. See page 330.

_Honcut_, a place south of Oroville, in Butte County, named from a tribe of Maidu Indians who formerly lived near the mouth of Honkut creek.

_Honda_ (deep). Honda is in Santa Bárbara County, and there is also _La Honda_, referring to a deep canyon, in San Matéo County. The name is incomplete in this form, and probably in its original form was _La Cañada Honda_.

_Hoopa._ See page 261.

_Hornitos_ (little ovens). See page 283.

_Huasna_, in San Luís Obispo County, received its name from a former Indian village near Purísima Mission in Santa Bárbara County. The signification of the word has not been ascertained.

_Hueneme_, the name of a former Chumash Indian village on the coast, a few miles south of Saticoy, in Ventura County.

_Los Huecos_ (the hollows).

_Huerhuero Creek._ Huerhuero is said to be a corruption of _güergüero_, a stream of water which makes a gurgling noise. An attempt is made to imitate the sound by the word. Huerhuero Creek is in San Luís Obispo County, near Paso de Robles.

_Huerta de Romualdo ó el Chorro_ (orchard of Romualdo, a Christian name, or the gushing stream). This is the combined name of two land grants.

_Huichica_, the name of a land grant derived from an Indian village called _Hutchi_, formerly situated near the plaza in the town of Sonoma.

_Huililic_, the name of a former Indian ranchería near Santa Bárbara. Mentioned in the mission archives.

_Hunto_ (eye), is the Indian name of a mountain in the Yosemite.

_Hyampom_, in Trinity County, is an Indian name, meaning not ascertained.

_Iaquá_, the name of a place in Humboldt County, was a sort of familiar salutation, something like our “hello,” with which the Indians of Humboldt and adjacent counties greeted each other when they met. From hearing the word so often the whites finally adopted it as the name of this place.

_Ignacio_ (Ignatius).

_Inaja_, or _Inoje_, was the name of a former Indian village near San Diego. Mentioned in the mission archives. The meaning of the word _Inaja_ is “my water.”

_Indio_ (Indian). See page 80.

_Inyo._ See page 327.

_Isleta_ (small island).

_Jacinto_ (hyacinth), also used as a Christian name.

_Jamacha_ was a former Indian village near San Diego.

_Jamón_ (ham). The application of this peculiar name has not been ascertained, and there is always the possibility that it is a corrupted word and has no such meaning.

_Jamul_, in San Diego County, is a place name of the Diegueño Indians.

_Jarame_, the name of a tribe thought to have been natives of the region around San Antonio, Texas.

_Jesús María_ (Jesus Mary).

_Jimeno_, a surname of a pioneer family.

_La Jolla._ See pages 44 and 340.

_Jolón._ See page 159.

_La Joya_ (the jewel). This name is comparatively modern, and has its origin in the fact that the residents, like those of every other California town, thought their place the bright particular “jewel” of the locality. La Joya Peak is in Los Ángeles County. See pages 80 and 340.

_Juan_ (John). _Juana_ (Jane).

_Juárez_ (a surname). The name of Benito Juárez, the Mexican patriot who led the national armies to victory against Maximilian, is one of which every native of that country must be proud. This man was a brilliant example of the triumph of natural genius over tremendous obstacles. He was of pure native blood, and had so few advantages in his youth that at the age of twelve he was still unable to read or write, or even to speak the Spanish language. Yet, his ambition once aroused, he succeeded in acquiring a collegiate education, graduating with the degree of Bachiller (bachelor in science or art), and later became President of the Mexican Republic. Among the early settlers of California is the name of Cayetano Juárez, who was at one time an official at Solano, and who took part in many Indian expeditions.

_La Junta_ (union, junction, meeting of persons for consultation). See page 340.

_Las Juntas_ (the junctions, or meetings).

_Kawia_, the name of an Indian tribe near Fresno.

_Kings County and River._ See page 278.

_Klamath._ See page 249.

_Laguna_ (lake or lagoon), in Sonoma and Orange Counties. There were many _lagunas_ in the state. See page 80.

_Laguna del Corral_ (lake or lagoon of the yard). See page 44.

_Point Laguna_ (lake or lagoon point). See page 261.

_Laguna de las Calabasas_ (lagoon of the pumpkins). _Calabasas_ in this case may be a corruption of the name of an Indian tribe, _Calahuasa_. See page 79.

_Laguna de la Merced_ (lagoon or lake of mercy). Lake Merced.

_Laguna de los Palos Colorados_ (lagoon of the redwoods).

“Kaweah, or Kawia, was the name of an Indian tribe near Fresno.”]

_Laguna Puerca_ (muddy lagoon), in the San Francisco district. This name does not mean “Hog Lake,” as has been stated.

_Laguna del Rey_ (lagoon of the king).

_Laguna de San Antonio_ (lagoon of St. Anthony).

_Laguna Seca_ (dry lagoon). See page 340.

_Lagunitas_ (little lagoons or lakes), one in Inyo County and one in Marin County. See page 340.

_Lancha Plana_ (flat-boat). See page 330.

_Largo_ (long). This place is in Mendocino County. The name of this station represents an inversion of the usual order of naming, since it is a translation into Spanish of the name of Mr. L. F. Long, a pioneer of Mendocino County.

_Laureles_ (laurels). See page 159.

_León_ (lion). See page 80. This name turns out not to be Spanish in origin, but merely the name of an American who first had charge of the post-office there.

_Lerdo_ (a surname), is in Kern County.

_La Liebre_ (the hare, or jack-rabbit).

_Linda Rosa_ (lovely rose), is forty-eight miles from San Bernardino.

_Linda Vista_ (lovely view). See page 45.

_Llagas_ (wounds, or stigmata). See page 179.

_Llanada_ (a wide, level plain). See page 159.

_Llanitos de los Corréos_ (plains of the mails). _Corréo_ was used to mean a King’s messenger, mail or bag of letters, and it is possible that at this point a messenger or mail carrier caught up with the exploring party.

_Llano_ (a flat, level field). There are places bearing this name in Los Ángeles and Sonoma Counties.

_Llano de Buena Vista_ (plain of the good view).

_Llano de Santa Rosa_ (plain of St. Rose).

_Llano Seco_ (dry plain).

_Llano de Tequisquite_ (plain of saltpetre). _Tequisquite_ is an Aztec word.

_Llorones_ (the weepers), a name given to a place in the vicinity of San Francisco Bay, for the reason given in Palou’s account of the expedition to that region in 1776, as follows: “The launch went out again with the pilot Bautista Aguiray to examine the arm of the sea that runs to the southeast; they saw nothing more than two or three Indians who made no other demonstration than to weep, for which reason the place was called _La Ensenada de los Llorones_ (the bay of the weepers).”

_Lobitos_ (little seals), is on the Ocean Shore Line, near San Francisco.

_Lobos_ (wolves, also sea-wolves, or seals). See pages 160 and 226.

_Loma_ (hill).

_Point Loma_ (hill point). See page 45.

_Loma Linda_ (beautiful hill), is in San Bernardino County.

_Loma Prieta_ (dark hill). See page 160.

_Lomas de la Purificación_ (hills of the purification).

_Lomas de Santiago_ (hills of St. James).

_Loma Vista_ (hill view), near Los Ángeles. Modern and improper in construction. It should be _Vista de la Loma_.

_Lomerías Muertas_ (dead hills), possibly should be _Lomerías de los Muertos_ (hills of the dead).

_Lomitas_ (little hills), north of San Francisco.

_Lompoc_, an Indian name. See page 108.

_López_ (a surname). See page 128.

_Lorenzo_ (Lawrence).

_Lugo_ (a surname), that of a family of early settlers. This place is thirty miles from San Bernardino.

_De Luz_ (a surname). See page 45.

_Madera_ (wood). See page 277.

_Madrone_, properly spelled Madroño, a native tree of California. See page 179.

_Málaga_, the name of a province in Southern Spain celebrated for its exports of grapes, raisins, oranges, lemons, figs and almonds. As raisins are among the chief products of this part of Fresno County, the town of Málaga was so named from the Spanish province.

_Manca_, or _Manka_. To prevent the unwary from falling into the erroneous belief that this name is Spanish or Indian, the rather humorous story of Manka is told here. The story goes that it was named for a German who came there in ’67, built a little sixteen by twenty-four foot shanty and sold whiskey. It was his proud boast that in the fifteen years he ran this business he never renewed his stock. The inference may be drawn.

_Manteca_ (lard, butter), is near Modesto. This place was so called by the railroad company in reference to a creamery existing there. In Spanish America butter is called _mantequilla_.

_Manzana_ (apple), is in Los Ángeles County.

_Manzanita_ (little apple), a native shrub that is one of the most striking objects in the California woods. Fremont says of it: “A new and singular shrub was very frequent to-day. It branched out near the ground, forming a clump eight to ten feet high, with pale green leaves of an oval form, and the body and branches had a naked appearance as if stripped of the bark, which is very smooth and thin, of a chocolate color, contrasting well with the pale green of the leaves.” Towns in Marin, San Diego, and Tehama Counties bear the name of _Manzanita_.

Powers, in his _Tribes of California_, describes the method of making manzanita cider practiced by the Indians, as follows: “After reducing the berries to flour by pounding, they carefully remove all the seeds and skins, then soak the flour in water for a considerable length of time. A squaw then heaps it up in a little mound, with a crater in the center, into which she pours a minute stream of water, allowing it to percolate through. In this way she gets about a gallon an hour of a really delicious beverage, clear, cool, clean and richer than most California apple cider. As the Indians always drink it up before it has time to ferment, it is never intoxicating.” Fremont also mentions this as a very delicious drink that he had tasted when among the Indians.

_Manzanita Knob_, in Tulare County, is near the summit of the Sierras.

_Mapache Peak_ (raccoon peak).

_Mar_ (the sea).

_Del Mar_ (of the sea).

_Mare Island._ See page 206.

_Maricopa_ is the name of an Arizona tribe. The word is said to mean “bean people,” which is probably the correct definition.—(A. L. Kroeber.)

_Marin._ See page 219.

_Mariposa_ (butterfly). See page 317.

_Martínez_ (a surname). See page 229.

_Matilija._ See pages 103 and 340.

_Médanos_, also spelled _Méganos_ (sand-banks, or dunes). This place is in Contra Costa County.

_Media_ (middle), is in Madera County.

_Mendocino._ See page 248.

_Mendota_ (a surname), is in Fresno County.

_Merced_ (mercy). See pages 276 and 340.

_Mesa_ (table, table-land). See pages 45 and 340.

_La Mesa_ (the table or table-land), is in San Diego County.

_Mesa Grande_ (big table-land). See page 46.

_Mesa de Ojo de Agua_ (table-land of the spring).

_Mesquite_ (a native shrub of the locust variety).

_Milpitas_ (little patches of corn). This word is said to be the diminutive of _milpa_ (a patch of maize or corn), but in that case must have referred to corn cultivated by Mexicans, since the California Indians raised no cultivated crops, but subsisted entirely on the natural products of the land. _Milpitas_ is a village in Santa Clara County, which for some unexplained reason, has come to be used as a term of derision, the “jumping off place of creation.” It was probably the name of a land grant.

_La Mirada_ (the view). See page 80.

_Miramar_ (sea-view), is the name of a post town in San Diego County and of a summer resort near Santa Bárbara.

_Miramontes_ (a surname). Candelario Miramontes, a native of Mexico, was the grantee of the Pilarcitos Rancho in ’41.

_Misión Vieja_, or _La Paz_ (old mission or the peace). Land grant.

_Misión Vieja de la Purísima_ (old mission of the Immaculate Conception).

_Mocho Peak_, in Santa Clara County. _Mocho_ means “cropped, cut off.”

_Modesto_ (modest). See page 288.

_Modoc_ (people of the south). See page 250.

_Mojave_, or _Mohave_. Mojave, also spelled Mohave, is an Indian tribal name of disputed meaning. It has been stated that it comes from _hamucklihabi_ (three hills), but this view is positively contradicted by scientists. In the documents of the Spanish explorers the Mojaves are referred to as Amajabas. The Mojave River is remarkable in that it has no true outlet, but sinks into the alkaline soil of the desert near the middle of San Bernardino County.

_Mokelumne._ See Moquelumne.

_Molino_ (mill, or mill-stone). See page 80.

_Los Molinos_ (the mills, or mill-stones). See page 80.

_El Río de los Molinos_ (the river of the mill-stones), now called Mill Creek, in Tehama County. See page 80.

_Mono._ See page 324.

_Montalvo_ (a surname), in Ventura County. See page 81.

_Monte_ (hill or wood). _Monte_ was generally used in the sense of “wood” or “forest” by the Spanish-Americans of the eighteenth century.

_El Monte_ (the hill or the wood).

_Del Monte_ (of the wood or hill). In the case of the Hotel del Monte, near Monterey, the name refers to the grove of fine live-oaks in the center of which the hotel stands.

_Montecito_ (little hill or wood). See page 101.

_Monterey_ (hill or wood of the king). See page 133.

_Monte Vista_ (mountain view). Modern and improper in construction. It should be _Vista del Monte_.

_Moquelumne_, or _Mokelumne_. See page 331.

_Moreno_ (a surname). One of the leading members of this numerous family was Antonio Moreno, a native of Lower California.

_Moro Cojo_ (lame Moor). See page 160.

_Morón_ (hillock, mound). This place is near Bakersfield.

_Morro_ (a round headland, bluff). It is upon such a rock that the well-known Morro Castle at Havana is situated. See page 128. This place receives its name from Morro Rock, a remarkable round rock, 600 feet high, situated at the entrance to the bay. The name has no reference to its grey color, as some people imagine, but refers to its shape—round like a head.

_Mugu Point_, on the coast of Ventura County. The Mugus were a tribe of Indians. The word _mugu_ means “beach.”

_Muñiz_ (a surname).

_Murietta_ (a surname). See page 81.

_Nacimiento_ (birth), referring in this case to the birth of Christ. See page 128.

_La Nación_ (the nation). See Del Rey, page 371.

_Napa_, formerly pronounced Napá. See page 242.

_Naranjo_ (orange-tree), in Tulare County.

_La Natividad_ (the nativity). See page 160.