Culture Contact in Protohistoric California (33 pages)

a 1 yin ! iil i Hi Hj NY Me . iit win? . iH ent 162 JOURNAL OF CALIFORNIA AND GREAT BASIN ANTHROPOLOGY Philippines were rife with deadly pestilence, and some members of the multiethnic crews, especially Mexican Indians, were particularly vulnerable to Euroasiatic pathogens. But the long ocean voyages could purify ships of some communicable diseases (influenza, smallpox, measles) that had incubation periods of several days to less than three weeks (Erlandson and Bartoy 1995:157-158; Preston 1996:22). The CabrilloFerrelo and Vizcaino voyages from west Mexico piers to southern Alta California (e.g., San Diego) were long and arduous, involving three to seven months of tacking back and forth against unfavorable winds. The passage across the Pacific from the Philippines was also difficult, involving five months at sea for Cermefio and his men. In the time it took any of the early voyagers to sail to Alta California, communicable infections with short incubation periods could have run their course through susceptible carriers in crews of 80 to 250 men. The three most likely ways that lethal pathogens were transported on ships to Alta California are animal vectors, the survival of the Variola (smallpox) virus outside hosts in ambient conditions, and sexually transmitted diseases. While it is possible that some diseases requiring intermediate hosts (i.e., insects), such as typhus (lice) and malaria (mosquitoes), may have been transported on board, the likelihood of their widespread transmittal through sporadic encounters with native peoples was minimal at this time (see Settipane and Russo 1995:26-27). However, pigs, horses, and other domesticated animals transported in the holds of ships could have served as reservoirs for virulent strains of influenza that are communicable to humans. Swine influenza, first brought to the New World by pigs transported on Columbus’s second voyage, was widely spread in the Caribbean by the common practice of leaving pigs on islands as sources of fresh meat for ships (Settipane and Russo 1995:26). It is not clear whether the early voyagers to Alta California were carrying pigs on board (although Kelsey [1986] suggested that the Cabrillo-Ferrelo expedition may have carried at least horses and cattle), whether any of them survived the butcher block during the long ocean voyages, and whether any were released at California anchorages. Another way that lethal pathogens may have been carried to California on long voyages was on clothing or cloth that was infected by smallpox. The Variola virus can survive outside living hosts in an infectious state for many months on clothing, bedding, and cloth that comes in contact with smallpox scabs (Upham 1986:119120; Settipane and Russo 1995:26). Since clothing was one of the primary goods given to native Californians during all five voyages, it is possible that some of the old clothing may have come from men who had died at sea, possibly from smallpox. The crusted material from smallpox scabs that remained on old clothing could have been lethal to natives who came in contact with it. Erlandson and Bartoy (1995:164-165) and Preston (1996:22) identified venereal afflictions as probably the most insidious diseases brought to Alta California by early voyagers. However, the initial spread of sexually transmitted diseases would have diverged greatly along the California coast given the varying lengths of visits and the different kinds of responses the sailors received. Many anchorages were very short, and it is not clear that the voyagers had much time to mingle with native populations after they performed their symbolic acts of possession and religious ceremonies. In other cases, the voyagers apparently spent some time visiting with people in villages and native men and women did come on board ships, some occasionally staying the night (e.g., Quinn 1979a:457). However, in these early encounters, it appears the English and Spanish crews would have risked armed conflict with native groups if they had forced women into unwanted sexual relations. While local women may have been coerced into sexual enconte count impli: of Vi: (Bolt consi: the fc that n sexua have’ (1947 did n want Nova retur! ance li rect Alta prob footh ted h: choré as on terey Bartc ics tivels wick: disea it oft posu: epide struc forei, sibly trail can . Pric latec ible : tion Keal. ]

a 1 yin ! iil i Hi Hj NY Me . iit win? . iH ent 162 JOURNAL OF CALIFORNIA AND GREAT BASIN ANTHROPOLOGY Philippines were rife with deadly pestilence, and some members of the multiethnic crews, especially Mexican Indians, were particularly vulnerable to Euroasiatic pathogens. But the long ocean voyages could purify ships of some communicable diseases (influenza, smallpox, measles) that had incubation periods of several days to less than three weeks (Erlandson and Bartoy 1995:157-158; Preston 1996:22). The CabrilloFerrelo and Vizcaino voyages from west Mexico piers to southern Alta California (e.g., San Diego) were long and arduous, involving three to seven months of tacking back and forth against unfavorable winds. The passage across the Pacific from the Philippines was also difficult, involving five months at sea for Cermefio and his men. In the time it took any of the early voyagers to sail to Alta California, communicable infections with short incubation periods could have run their course through susceptible carriers in crews of 80 to 250 men. The three most likely ways that lethal pathogens were transported on ships to Alta California are animal vectors, the survival of the Variola (smallpox) virus outside hosts in ambient conditions, and sexually transmitted diseases. While it is possible that some diseases requiring intermediate hosts (i.e., insects), such as typhus (lice) and malaria (mosquitoes), may have been transported on board, the likelihood of their widespread transmittal through sporadic encounters with native peoples was minimal at this time (see Settipane and Russo 1995:26-27). However, pigs, horses, and other domesticated animals transported in the holds of ships could have served as reservoirs for virulent strains of influenza that are communicable to humans. Swine influenza, first brought to the New World by pigs transported on Columbus’s second voyage, was widely spread in the Caribbean by the common practice of leaving pigs on islands as sources of fresh meat for ships (Settipane and Russo 1995:26). It is not clear whether the early voyagers to Alta California were carrying pigs on board (although Kelsey [1986] suggested that the Cabrillo-Ferrelo expedition may have carried at least horses and cattle), whether any of them survived the butcher block during the long ocean voyages, and whether any were released at California anchorages. Another way that lethal pathogens may have been carried to California on long voyages was on clothing or cloth that was infected by smallpox. The Variola virus can survive outside living hosts in an infectious state for many months on clothing, bedding, and cloth that comes in contact with smallpox scabs (Upham 1986:119120; Settipane and Russo 1995:26). Since clothing was one of the primary goods given to native Californians during all five voyages, it is possible that some of the old clothing may have come from men who had died at sea, possibly from smallpox. The crusted material from smallpox scabs that remained on old clothing could have been lethal to natives who came in contact with it. Erlandson and Bartoy (1995:164-165) and Preston (1996:22) identified venereal afflictions as probably the most insidious diseases brought to Alta California by early voyagers. However, the initial spread of sexually transmitted diseases would have diverged greatly along the California

coast given the varying lengths of visits and the different kinds of responses the sailors received. Many anchorages were very short, and it is not clear that the voyagers had much time to mingle with native populations after they performed their symbolic acts of possession and religious ceremonies. In other cases, the voyagers apparently spent some time visiting with people in villages and native men and women did come on board ships, some occasionally staying the night (e.g., Quinn 1979a:457). However, in these early encounters, it appears the English and Spanish crews would have risked armed conflict with native groups if they had forced women into unwanted sexual relations. While local women may have been coerced into sexual enconte count impli: of Vi: (Bolt consi: the fc that n sexua have’ (1947 did n want Nova retur! ance li rect Alta prob footh ted h: choré as on terey Bartc ics tivels wick: disea it oft posu: epide struc forei, sibly trail can . Pric latec ible : tion Keal. ]