1




                                          
                 JOHN HANCOCK CALIFORNIA TAX-FREE INCOME FUND
                          CLASS A AND CLASS B SHARES
                                      
                  SUPPLEMENT TO PROSPECTUS DATED MAY 1, 1995
                                          
         
         
Investment Objective and Policies
- ---------------------------------
         
        The Fund's investment policies have been revised to allow investments
in  unrated bonds comparable to BBB, and up to 20% of the Fund's total assets
to  be invested in bonds rated BB/Ba or equivalent.  The paragraphs under this 
section numbered (1) and (5) are deleted in their entirety and replaced by:
         
The Fund pursues its objective by investing in:
         
       (1)    Bonds which, at the time of purchase, are rated within one 
              of the five highest ratings by Standard and Poor's Ratings
              Group ("S&P") (AAA, AA, A, BBB or BB), Moody's Investor
              Services ("Moody's") (AAA, AA, A, Baa or Ba), or Fitch Investor
              Services ("Fitch") (AAA, AA, A BBB or BB).
       
       (5)    Unrated bonds, notes and commercial paper that in the 
              opinion of the Adviser are, at the  time of purchase, comparable 
              in quality to the rated obligations of the same types described 
              above. The Fund may not purchase an unrated obligation which      
              would cause  more than 25% of its total assets to be invested in 
              unrated debt obligations.  Not more than 20% of the Fund's
              total  assets will be invested in bonds rated lower than BBB or,
              if unrated, determined to be of comparable quality, in the
              opinion of the Adviser.
         
         
         
July 3, 1995
         
5300S  7/95