The March of Portola and the Discovery of the Bay of San Francisco | Page 9

Maria, whither also went by land the troops, muleteers,
and vaqueros, with the herd of every sort. Finding insufficient
pasturage for the cattle at Santa Maria, they advanced to Velicatá, some
thirty miles distant, and here was assembled the land expedition. In
addition to the officers named, Don Miguel Costansó, ensign of royal
engineers, was ordered to join the expedition as cosmographer and
diarist, and Don Pedro Prat was appointed physician. To minister to the
soldiers and take charge of the missions to be established in the new
land, the following missionary priests, all of the college of San
Fernando in Mexico, were named to accompany the expedition. Fray
Junípero Serra, appointed president of the missions of Alta California,
Fray Juan Crespi, Fray Fernando Parron, Fray Juan Vizcaino, and Fray
Francisco Gomez.

On the 6th of January, 1769, at the port of La Paz, the San Carlos was
loaded and ready for sea. The venerable Father Junípero Serra sang
mass aboard her, and with other devotional exercises blessed the ship
and the standards. The visitador named the Señor San José patron of
the expedition, and in a fervent exhortation, kindled the spirits of those
about to sail. These were Don Pedro Fages, with his twenty-five
Catalans of the 1st batallion 2d regiment, Voluntarios de Cataluna,
Alférez Miguel Costansó, Surgeon Don Pedro Prat, and Padre
Fernando Parron. The ship was commanded by Don Vicente Vila,
lieutenant of the royal navy; the mate was Don Jorge Estorace, and
twenty-three sailors, two boys, four cooks, and two blacksmiths made
up the rest of the ship's company - sixty-two in all. They embarked on
the night of January 9th and sailed on the 10th. Galvez appointed Fages
gefe de las armas - chief of the military expedition at sea, and
instructed him to retain command of the soldiers on land until the
arrival of the governor at Monterey[9]. On the 15th of February, Father
Junípero performed like offices for the San Antonio, and she sailed the
same day under command of Don Juan Perez, "of the navigation of the
Philippines," carrying Frays Vizcaino and Gomez, some carpenters,
blacksmiths, and cooks, that, with the sailors, made some ninety
persons, all told, on both ships. The rendezvous was San Diego bay,
where all were to meet.
The land expedition was divided into two parts. The first division,
under Rivera, started from Velicatá March 24th, and the second, under
command of the governor, started May 15th. With Rivera were Padre
Crespi, Pilotin (Mate) Jose Cañizares. Twenty-five soldados de
cuera[10], three muleteers, and eleven Christian Indians - forty-two
men. With the governor marched Junípero Serra, fifteen soldados de
cuera, under Sergeant Jose Francisco de Ortega, two servants,
muleteers and Indians - forty-four in all. The previous day, May 14,
1769, being Easter Sunday, Junípero established the Mission of San
Fernando with Fray Miguel de la Campa as Minister. For the succor
and relief of the forces, both sea and land, Galvez built, at San Blas, a
ship which he named in honor of the protector of the expedition, the
San Jose, and loading her with supplies and provisions, sent her with
orders to meet the expedition at Monterey. She was lost at sea.
There is very little of interest in this march of some two hundred miles

through a barren country to the bay of San Diego. Junípero's diary lies
before me[11]; it is a dreary recital of small incidents of the march, the
Indians they met, the barrancas they crossed, with pious comments, etc.;
no course, no distances traveled, or other like information necessary to
an understanding of the route and country. As a diarist, he is not to be
compared with Crespi. On June 20th they came first in sight of the sea
at the Ensenada de Todos Santos; thence their journey was by the sea
until they came to the rendezvous. As they drew near to San Diego,
their Indian allies began to desert, evidently in fear of the Diegueños,
whom they began to meet in numbers and who proved a rascally lot.
They thronged the camp and became a perfect nuisance with their
begging and stealing. They begged from Junípero his robe and from the
governor his cuera, waistcoat, breeches, and all he had on. One of them
succeeding in inducing Junípero to take off his spectacles to show them
to him and as soon as he got them in his hands made off with them,
causing the priest a thousand difficulties to recover them. On the 27th
of June Sergeant Ortega, with his scouts, pushed on to San Diego and
announced to the anxious camp the proximity of the governor. Rivera
sent ten of his soldiers with fresh horses back with Ortega, and Portolá,
in advance of his command, reached the camp June 29th, and