Page:History of California, Volume 3 (Bancroft).djvu/43

Rh The ship was the Asia, or San Gerónimo, of seventy-four guns and six hundred men; and three days later her consort, the brigantine Constante, with sixty men, anchored in the harbor. These vessels had formed a part of the royal Spanish squadron operating against the rebels on the coast of South America. Together with the Aquiles and the transport Garinton, they had sailed from that coast for Manila in January 1824, after the fall of Callao, under Roque Guruceta. On the way the men revolted in March 1825, at Guahan, one of the Mariana Islands. They landed all the officers and passengers who would not join in their scheme, burned the Garinton, put José Martinez, formerly of the Constante, in command, and returned eastward with a view of surrendering the vessels to some of the American enemies of Spain. The Aquiles started first and was not seen again, and the others directed their course to California, as the most practicable route, and with a view of obtaining supplies. This was the account given by Martinez with more details on his later arrival at Acapulco.

An agreement was signed on May 1st, by which Martinez formally surrendered the Asia and Constante to Argüello as an officer of the Mexican republic, under certain conditions intended to secure the safety of the men and the payment of their wages. Thereupon