"I am hungry and I want some luncheon!" "Then we'll return this afternoon." There was determination in his voice.
"We will hardly have time if we visit Luis Argüello's home at the Presidio," I objected.
"All right, we'll take it in tomorrow, then."
Hastening on, we were soon in the midst of the huddled houses of the Latin quarter. Tucked away between two larger buildings, we found a quaint Spanish restaurant. As we opened our tamales, my companion again referred to Portsmouth Square.
"Tell me about it," he demanded. "Does it date with the Mission and Presidio?"
"No, it is of later birth, but still of equal interest in the history of San Francisco. The city grew up from three points--the Mission"--I pulled a poppy from my bouquet and placed it on the table to mark the old adobe--"the Presidio"--I moved a salt cellar to the right of the flower--"and the town of Yerba Buena," this I indicated by a pepper box below the other two. "Roads connected these points like the sides of a triangle and gradually the intervening spaces were filled with houses."
"Go on." He leaned back in his chair, but I had already risen. "It will be more interesting to hear the story on the spot tomorrow," I assured him as I drew on my gloves.
The Spanish Fortifications and the Love Story of Concepcion and Rezánov
We hailed a car marked "Exposition" and were soon climbing the hills to the west. Between the houses, we had fleeting glances of the bay with its freight of vessels. Here waved the tri-color of France, while next to it the black, white and red flag of Germany was flung to the breeze, and within a stone's throw, Johnny Bull had cast out his insignia. At a little distance the ships of Austria and Russia rested side by side, and between the vessels the bustling little ferry-boats were churning up the blue water.
"It is difficult to picture this bay as it was in early Spanish days," I said, "destitute of boats and so full of otter that when the Russians and Alaskan Aleuts began plundering these waters, they had only to lean from the canoes and kill hundreds with their oars."
"But what right had the Russian here? Why didn't the Spaniards stop them? Otter must have brought a good price in those days." There was a ring of indignation in his voice, that told his interest had been aroused.