The Famous Missions of California | Page 7

thence over the Santa Clara valley and the "immense arm"
of San Francisco Bay. By this time the rainy season had set in, and
convinced as they now were that they must, through some oversight or
ill-chance, have missed the object of their quest, they determined to
retrace their steps, and institute another and more thorough search. On
again reaching the neighborhood of Monterey, they spent a whole
fortnight in systematic exploration, but still, strangely enough, without
discovering "any indication or landmark" of the harbour. Baffled and
disheartened, therefore, the leaders resolved to abandon the enterprise.
They then erected two large wooden crosses as memorials of their visit,
and cutting on one of these the words - "Dig at the foot of this and you

will find a writing" - buried there a brief narrative of their experiences.
This is reproduced in the diary of Father Crespé[3]; and its closing
words have a touch of simple pathos: "At last, undeceived, and
despairing of finding it [the harbour] after so many efforts, sufferings
and labours, and having left of all our provisions but fourteen small
sacks of flour, our expedition leaves this place to-day for San Diego; I
beg of Almighty God to guide it, and for thee, voyager, that His divine
providence may lead thee to the harbour of salvation. Done in this Bay
of Pinos, the 9th of December, 1769." On the cross on the other side of
Point Pinos was cut with a razor this legend: - "The land expedition
returned to San Diego for want of provisions, this 9th day of December,
1769."
The little party - or more correctly speaking - what was left of it, did
not reach San Diego till the 25th of the following month, having in
their march down suffered terribly from hunger, exposure, wet, fatigue
and sickness. Depressed themselves, they found nothing to encourage
them in the mission and camp, where death had played havoc among
those they had left behind them six months before, and where the
provisions were so fast running low that only the timely reappearance
of the San Antonio, long overdue, would save the survivors from actual
starvation. Perhaps it is hardly surprising that, under these
circumstances, Portolà's courage should have failed him, and that he
should have decided upon a return to Mexico. He caused an inventory
of all available provisions to be taken, and calculating that, with strict
economy, and setting aside what would be required for the journey
back to San Fernando, they might last till somewhat beyond the middle
of March, he gave out that unless the San Antonio should arrive by the
20th of that month, he should on that day abandon San Diego, and start
south. But if the governor imagined for a moment that he could
persuade the padre presidente to fall in with this arrangement, he did
not know his man. Junipero firmly believed, despite the failure of
Portolà's expedition, that the harbour of Monterey still existed, and
might be found; he even interested Vicente Vila in a plan of his own for
reaching it by sea; and he furthermore made up his mind that, come
what might, nothing should ever induce him to turn his back upon his
work. Then a wonderful thing happened. On the 19th of March - the

very day before that fixed by the governor for his departure, and when
everything was in readiness for to-morrow's march - the sail of a ship
appeared far out at sea; and though the vessel presently disappeared
towards the northwest, it returned four days later and proved to be none
other than the San Antonio, bearing the much needed succour. She had
passed up towards Monterey in the expectation of finding the larger
body of settlers there, and had only put back to San Diego when
unexpectedly, (and as it seemed, providentially), she had run short of
water. It was inevitable that Father Junipero should see in this series of
happenings the very hand of God - the more so as the day of relief
chanced to be the festival of St. Joseph, who, as we have noted, was the
patron of the mission enterprise.
The arrival of the San Antonio put an entirely new complexion upon
affairs; and, relieved of immediate anxiety, Portolà now resolved upon
a second expedition in quest of Monterey. Two divisions, one for sea,
the other for land, were accordingly made ready; the former, which
included Junipero, started in the San Antonio, on the 16th of April; the
latter, under the leadership of Portolà, a day later. Strong adverse winds
interfered with the vessel, which did not make Monterey for a month
and a half. The land-party, following the coast, reached the more
southern of the great wooden crosses on the 24th of May,