DONA TERESA HARTNELL bore her latest son Adelberto Pedro on June 25, 1831

+++  By spring in 1831, Hartnell had completed arrangements with members of the Soberanes family whereby he received a share in their beautiful, fertile ‘Rancho del Alisal’ (Sycamore Ranch), five leagues or so inland from Monterey in the foothill country near Salinas (salt pits).  Details he describes to his father-in-law on May 4, 1831 (translation):  ++  ’At last I have become a ranchero not entirely in the way I would have chosen.  The Soberanes have granted me permission to pasture as many cattle as I consider advisable, to build a house and to plant as many [grape] vines and orchard trees as we need and in return I must help them in seed-times – that is to say I commit myself to all expenditures for the sowing that we do together and at the time of the harvest I get back the value in produce of the amount I put in at seed-time, and this surplus must be divided equally between us.  ++  ’I have about 500 head of cattle I plan to pasture there this month; so we shall soon see if as a Rancher I have the same ability, or better say lack of ability, that I showed as a Trader.’  ++  The de la Guerra family was as pleased with his new status as Don Guillermo himself.  ’Compadre’ Carrillo came up from Santa Barbara to look the situation over.  He found his cousin Teresa about to have another child and told Guillermo that “si Teresa pare pronto,” he himself would aid in driving the cattle from Monterey to Alisal.  Poor Teresa could not oblige for almost a month (Adelberto Pedro made his appearance at 8 P.M. on June 25, 1831), well beyond the time when seasonal activities could be postponed.  So on this occasion she had to endure her trial without the aid of a loving husband, while Don Guillermo took advantage of the ‘compadre’s’ presence to launch his new career.  ++  To Don Jose Don Guillermo wrote on May 30, suggesting that Jose Antonio stay on with him at least through la matanza because of “the intelligence and activity which he shows in ranch work.”  ++  Hartnell’s own experience had acquainted him with the special problems that beset a ‘ranchero’ in California all through the year.  He knew that a dry season meant a major disaster, that Indian labor was bone lazy, and so on, but scarcely were his cattle settled in their new home, contentledly nibbling at long green grass, when an unexpected event threatened the success of his venture at the very outset. … +++