Page:History of California, Volume 3 (Bancroft).djvu/297

Rh or more at San Luis Rey and San Gabriel, and their gradual progress north ward. Immediately after the agreement with Híjar, particularly on November 12th, orders were issued for a pro rata furnishing by the missions of necessary supplies. There are also some fragmentary items of record respecting transportation in November and December; but all that can be definitely learned is that during the winter a majority of the whole company, the rest being scattered throughout the territory, were gradually brought together at San Francisco Solano, which mission was already in charge of Mariano G. Vallejo as comisionado for secularization. Padrés was with them, and Híjar made some visits to Solano. The intention was to found a settlement on the northern frontier, perhaps at Santa Rosa, though it does not clearly appear that any of the colony actually went there, or indeed that any had lands assigned them at San Francisco Solano. Early in March 1835 a new correspondence took place between Híjar and Figueroa. Supplies had come in slowly, barely in quantities sufficient to keep the colonists alive. Híjar now desired to make a beginning of the new town, and called on the governor to state definitely whether he could furnish the required aid. Figueroa admitted that he could not furnish all that was required by the instructions, though he would do, as he had done, all that was in his power.