Page:History of California, Volume 3 (Bancroft).djvu/148

130 sailed for Santa Cruz and Monterey. Here Duhaut-Cilly found the French ship Comète, which had come over from the Islands, as he claims, at the instigation of the mysterious and treacherous Signor R——, and to spoil the trade of the Héros, which venture was a failure, as the author is delighted to observe. In September they were at Santa Bárbara, having anchored on the way at El Cojo to receive tallow from Purísima. From San Pedro, about the 22d, the captain, with Botta and a guide, visited Los Angeles and San Gabriel, to feel another earthquake. October 20th, after having broken his collar-bone by a fall from a California bronco, Duhaut-Cilly sailed again for Callao, again leaving il Signor R—— to continue his operations on board the Waverly. He came back to Monterey May 3, 1828, made a visit to Bodega and Ross in June, was at Santa Bárbara and San Pedro before the end of that month, revisited Los Angeles and San Gabriel, and reached San Diego on the 3d of July. Finally the Héros sailed August 27th for the Islands. The Signor R—— had in the mean time run away to Mexico.

From the preceding outline of the French trader's movements, it is seen that his opportunities for observation were more extensive than those of any foreign visitor who had preceded him. No other navigator had visited so many of the Californian establishments. His narrative fills about three hundred pages devoted to California, and is one of the most interesting ever written on the subject. Duhaut-Cilly was an educated man, a close observer, and a good writer. Few things respecting the country or its people or its institutions escaped his notice. His relations with the Californians, and especially the friars, were always friendly, and he has nothing but kind words for all. The treachery of his supercargo caused his commercial venture to be less profitable than the prospects had seemed to warrant. I have