050: Alta California in 1834 Part 2: Song and Dance

In this episode, we continue exploring the memoirs of Carlos N. Híjar, who came to Alta California as a young boy in 1834. The episode focuses on daily life in Alta California during the Spanish and Mexican eras, particularly in Santa Barbara. Key points include:

1. Description of popular dances and songs, including details on how they were performed and celebrated.

2. Insights into Catholic feast days and their importance in social life.

3. Discussion of cattle roundups and rodeos at missions, including the process of slaughtering cattle for food.

4. Explanation of washing customs among Californio women, including their use of native plants as soap substitutes.

5. Information on the hide and tallow trade, which was crucial to the economy of Alta California.

6. Details on the relationship between missions and individual rancho owners, including their business practices and treatment of Indian workers.

Carlos' recollections provide a granular view of daily life in Alta California, helping us understand the mindset, customs, and economic activities of the Californios during this period.

Make sure to listen to Part 1 of this series.

Transcript

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Today, we're going to continue reading. From the memoirs of Carlos and E. Who, if you recall. Came to Alta California. In 1834 as a young boy of eight years old. And he is speaking. In 1877. With a, interviewer. Working for the historian, he would help an cropped. Who's taking down as many. Testimonies is he can have people who lived through the Spanish and Mexican eras. Now. Bear in mind. Bancroft was looking for information. About important political events. And he was hoping to talk to people who could shed light on. The controversies. The battles. The big movers and shakers of the time period. Especially. Prior to the annexation, California, by the U S. But for us, or at least speaking for myself. What we get from a lot of these testimonies is glimpses into the daily lives. Of the people who were living at the time. Which are oftentimes the details. They get lost when we look at the big picture of history and of course the big picture is very important. And it helps to situate what we learn about individuals, but on the other side, It helps to understand. The macro. View, if we can. Have a better idea of what. Life was like, On a granular level on a day-to-day. Level. In a particular place. Because it also helps to understand the mindset. The worries, the anxieties, the joys. Of the people at a given time. So last time we spoke. About. Some of the inner weight, first of all, some of the. So last time we spoke about some of the customs. Of the Kelly for news. Particularly how they dressed. And then also the way they had of. Celebrating with these bare with bull fighting and in these bear and bull fights, which were pretty violent. And, Now we're going to talk a little bit about. Dances and songs. That were popular during this time period. And in this place he's talking particularly about Santa Barbara. And also a little bit again, getting into the. Hyde and tallow trade, which was so important for. The economy of Alta California during the period leading up to. The war between the U S and Mexico, that wound up. Bringing California into the United States. So let's begin here.

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Welcome to California Frontier, the show about the often overlooked and unexpected early history of the place we call California. I'm your host, Damian Basich.

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Dancing. Was also a very common diversion among the California's. It took place on the day of the patron of the mission or town. Or indeed. Whenever it was the day of some apostle. Or some other scene to of importance. Now remember. This is the 19th century. And. Everybody. In Alta, California is ostensibly Catholic. So the rhythms. Of the Catholic church. Dominate. Our part and parcel of the civic life of society. So St. Stays and those kinds of feast days are really. The, the things that people. I came out to celebrate other than personal. Events like birthdays and baptisms and weddings, et cetera. So. The dance, as he says, the dance began in the evening. And ended a day or two after the day that it was being the day that was being celebrated. So once again, They began to dance in the evening and then ended a couple of days. After the feast day was over. The music consisted of one or two poor violinists and an equal number of guitarists. Who acted as contraltos. The pieces that were played, where the hotel. The Contra dancer. And Sonus. And these are dances from Spain and Mexico that are used even to this day. These pieces were accompanied by singing in which the women never took part. So it was a man who was doing the singing. The couples went out to dance. And danced until the silence of the musicians. And the singer has reminded them of the time. The spectators of the dance, whether men or women. Stayed seated. Either squatting. Or on some tree trunk or on some steers head. Or even on the ground. I assume when they say steer's head. They probably mean a. A skull. Because I don't imagine that a steer. When sit still to have somebody sit on his head. When the dance ended, everyone present began to applaud. Either shouting or clapping or both together. When the Sonus were danced. They were the most lively. And it was done in the following manner. A man was appointed as the master of ceremonies. When the music began to play. Accompanied by three or four singers. This man would get up. And go to the right. To the first woman. Standing in front of her. He would begin to beat the time or rhythm with his hands and feet. And he would not leave. Until the lady got up and gave at least one turn. Then he went on to the next and did the same. It often happened. That he would find a good dancer. And then the applause rained upon her. The way of showing their enthusiasm was to put hats on her head. One above the other. When she could no longer hold them on her head. They put them on her hands and arms. When the song ended. The music. Each owner of a hat. Went to the dancer to regain his hat. By means of some gift. Which consisted of money. Or at least some verses. The Sonus. The songs which were played were. Elma credo, Ella. Latusa. and others, which I do not recall. And according to the footnote here, these are traditional songs from the state of Holly score in Mexico. If you. Are well-versed in the music of Mexico or the music of Alta California. Let me know. I'd love to know a little bit more about these songs. Carlos continues when the dance was about to end. And the girls were beginning to leave. The men accompanied them to their homes. Playing music through the street. And every way, showing how happy they were. When there were no more girls. They would go down the street, mounted on their horses. And to the beat of the music, which accompanied them. They would gleefully sing some sourness. With words, which were more or less roguish. So, I guess. Inappropriate and in his terms, Board with this, they would go out into the country, on their horses and begin to lasso or wrangle the herd out there. Or they would lie in, wait in the streets for some animal in order to throw him down with a lasso. Held by two men, one on each end. Sometimes. When they were not dancing. There would be fresh meat beneath some tree. And large bonfires so that one could roast and eat whatever he wished. The men frequently left the dance for a moment to go to some nearby shop. And by Brandy, which was sold to them at a rather high price. Perhaps because of the occasion. Right. The law of supply and demand. At work and Alta California. So let's see. And he talks about roundups and rodeos. Every week, there was a small Roundup of cattle at each mission. Not for the purpose of branding or marking them. But in order to kill 20 or 30 more steers. For the residents of the mission. And the residents of the mission means that the native people who lived on the mission. The Indians were entrusted with the killing of the steers in the presence of a field director. Who afterwards distributed among them, the meat. Which he believed they would need for the entire week. The Fenton. Our son. Personally went where the dead steer lay and their cutoff, the meat that they wanted. So remember Some people have reason, let's say the literal translation. Was the term. That people and Alta California used to. Mark. To talk about, let's say. People who adopted a European or Latin American lifestyle, people who. Who lived in that way as distinct from saying nail fetus, neophytes. Native people who still lived basically, according to. Their traditional ways. All right. So it wasn't simply an ethnic thing, you know? Hinted at our son where we're white. And they all Fellas we're native American. It's, it's a cultural thing. What type of cultural lifestyle did you live? Because there are also people who work. I would say. Ethnically. Native. But who maybe for generations had been living in a European and Latin American way. So. Back to cardless. The bones were left in the corral. Where the steer was killed until the following Friday. At which time they were heaped up outside the corral. So that they would not be in the way is the next Saturday. When there would be another killing. At this foregoing process as has been said, Excuse me all this foregoing process as has been said, Was entrusted exclusively to the Indians. Which did not prevent some evented era soon, however, from helping them. Solely for the pleasure and never because of obligation. I also learned that annually a big rodeo was held at each mission. Not so much for the purpose of branding. Marking or segregating as to make the cattle recognize some, one place and thus prevent them from becoming wild. These rodeos took place a little away from the mission. I never attended any of them. And only saw the helix covered with thousands of head of cattle. At each mission. There were three corrals. One reserved for the cattle. Another for the sheep. And the other for the horses. So then you go cattle, sheep horses, three main. Domesticated animals being. Raised at the missions. And remember, this is 18 30, 4 35. So this is. Soon after the missions had been secularized, it is taken out of the hands of the church. Now he moves on to talking about domestic life. He goes back to talking about domestic life. Nice quote. When I spoke here of the custom of the wives of the Kelly Ford knows having to wash most of the time. I neglected to make the following observation. Instead of soap. They used a tuber called Or a little onion, which they called a moly. Or an even smaller one, which they knew as total. We. The way of using these routes was to crush them against a stone. Thus, they were able to get a great deal of lather. Which was what they used when managing. The bag Asus, which served as brushes or scrapers. The mania of these women for washing. It was so great. That when they ran out of clothes. They would ask their acquaintances for more to watch. Afterwards, giving them back with absolutely no charge for their work. Several times at their insistence. I gave them my laundry. And when I received it and tried to pay them for their work. I noticed that they were offended. When after six, eight or more days. They had finished washing the clothes and we're going home. They held a celebration. Which consisted of killing a calf playing. Singing. And making Mary. Well, the women stayed at the Brook. Living under an Arbor. And sleeping in the open air. The husbands brothers or children. Recognized it as home. That is to say they too ate and slept in the open country. Whether the women were living in the field beside the Brooks. Or in their homes. They never had a fixed hour for eating. Since they generally ate when they were hungry. Whether all the members of the family were there or not. When the husband came home. Some of the women gave him something to eat. Or did not. According to his wishes. So that's very interesting. That you would have these washing parties where people would go away. For several days. No woman would wash clothes and everybody would camp out. Until it was done. And then they would go back home. Now he talks a little bit about, Some of the cow. Some of the eating practices that they had, how they would. Eat. Certain parts of the cow, et cetera. And he talks a little bit. Though about tallow, which as you recall, Tolo is beef fat and it was used for a lot of things. Including making candles all sorts of different, important items on the frontier. So here, you mentioned the towel. Which was taken to the mission. I either was melted to fill containers. Or was put in the cauldrons to make soap. So they also use Tolo as soap. When some quantity of fat and hides was ready. And it was known that some merchant vessel was in Monterey. Santa Barbara or some other port. Wagons were sent loaded with the said articles to trade with them. So this is the famous hide and tallow trade. So merchants would come into the Harbor to purchase. Tolo as well as cattle Heights. So he continues. There were very, they were very rarely sold for real money. But generally for items of clothing or edibles. They were also some individuals who owned herds. Who collected the tallow and made soap. They too, just as the missionaries. Traded with the merchant boats. In exchange for the provisions they considered most necessary. It often happened that the missionaries, as well as the individuals needed certain provisions. And there was no trading boat announced. Then they made a trip to some port. And they're sold their supplies to the shops commissioned by the boats. For whatever they needed. These shops. Always bought their things for a smaller price than the boats. And it was for this reason. That they. I think, I mean, he means the missionaries and the Rancho owners. Prefer to trade directly with the boats. As has been said, It was only in an emergency that they went to the shops. Besides the towel and hides. They also sent dried meat. An article, which was received with pleasure by the said boats or shops. So dried meat. Also very prized. Merchandise. It seems at first glance is some opposition would exist between the directors of the missions. And the individuals. Since they were in the same kind of business. On the contrary. They came to an agreement for the purpose of effecting their brief negotiations. And it often happened that the former. Gave helpful advice to the ladder. That is at the missions directors. I would give advice to the ranch owners. The wealth of these individuals consisted of some ranch. Small or large, sometimes their own. And sometimes loaned. On these ranches, they sowed seeds sufficient for the maintenance of the family. The principal business. Was the breeding of cattle. The people. Which they used to care for. The people which they used to care for the small crops and the herds. We're Indians. Whom they had reared from childhood. Or proteges. Also Indians. Who wish to stay with them. Or neophytes, which the missionary is granted to them. The number of workers increased or diminished, according to the need. And they were always better paid by the individuals. Then by the missionaries. So, this is interesting. He mentions that the individuals. So once again, People owned Ranchos or leased them, I guess. Would have native people working for them. Some of whom they had raised from childhood. So who had raised. To be servants in their household. As child as children. Or others who came to work for them. Or. Indians who were from the missions of the missionaries. Sent to work on the Ranchos. Right. And it says that the Rancho owners paid. The Indians better than the missionaries did. So. That's interesting. Once again, this is the 1830s. This is after secularization. So you have this sort of. Labor situation going on back and forth between the ranches and the missions. Now when we'll finish up here. He says the products. Which the missionaries, as well as the individuals obtained. And trading their merchandise with the boats. Serve their own uses. And we're used by the ladder. To recompense their workers. And by the former to recompense. They're neophytes and nuns. So the products. That they received. We're then news to compensate the workers. So. The Rancho owners compensated. The Indians who worked for them, the missionaries compensated Indians who work for them. And he mentions nuns. I'm not sure. I'd have to look at the original Spanish. What nuns. There were really no nuns to my knowledge in California at this time. So, He may be referring to female or young unmarried women. Who. I lived, at the mission and what they called the Video, which was. I'm okay. Amanda convent meant. A dormitory of nuns. And as you know, and the missions native young, native unmarried women would live in these buildings. Yeah. Idea was to protect them. From assault basically. Be it by, Soldiers. Or other individuals or other tribe members. It's gotten. It has a bad name. Because, It's also seen as a way of, of controlling. The women or, it's often. Pointed out as has maybe a vector for disease because they weren't very well ventilated or what have you with it? That is a whole nother. Another topic that deserves some, some investigation, some comment to better understand it because there are a lot of cliches. Surrounding it. But in short, I brought that up because it says that they used it for rec to recompense their neophytes and nuns. What that means? I'm not sure. If you have an idea, let me know.

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