Page:The Californian volume 1 issue 1.djvu/13

 and reassuming his clerical functions, he as- sisted in conciliating the Indians, hitherto hos- tile to the Spaniards, and laid the foundations of the new Mission, then and thenceforward called that of “Nuestra Sejfiora del Pilar de la Paz.” As soon as he had finished his la- bors there, he returned to Loreto.

One of the most important objects which the missionaries of California contemplated, and which they kept constantly in view, was the dis- covery of a good port for the Philippine gal- leons. These ships, which carried the silks, gums, spices, and jewels of the Indies, intended for Spain, were obliged, in sailing from Manila to Acapulco or Panama, on account of the pre- vailing winds and currents of the Pacific, to cross in a high latitude, and then run down the coast of California. The length of the voyage was so great, and the general character of the provisions supplied in those days so ill calcu- lated for the preservation of health, that by the time the vessels reached their port of destina- tion, all, or nearly all, of the navigators were down with the scurvy and other sicknesses ; and, in many cases, the loss of life and property was immense. On this account, a port on the California coast, at which the ships might stop temporarily and obtain a supply of fresh provis-

ions, although it would not present a complete remedy, yet would afford great relief, and it

was, therefore, a great desideratum. To this end, Father Ugarte, ever zealous for the ad- vancement of the country, and ever on the alert in projects looking forward to great results, had, years before the building of his ship, made several expeditions of exploration. He had marched over the mountains west of Loreto to the ocean, and many leagues north and south along the coast, but everywhere found a rock- bound shore; and hitherto his searches, and the searches of others who had gone out with a similar object, had been in vain. The place for the desired port—for this was fifty years before the discovery of San Francisco—had not been found.

Ulloa, in 1539, by first running up the Gulf as far as the mouth of the Colorado, and then returning, doubling Cape San Lucas, and run- ning up the ocean coast as far as Cerros Island, had discovered the peninsular character of Cal- ifornia; and afterward, in 1700, Father Kino had traveled by land through the desert wastes of Sinaloa to the head of the Gulf, and had seen the purple line of the California szerra running up into, and uniting with, the main land of the continent. But so many stories had been told of passages and arms of the sea, and of ships sailing through them, and these stories had been so often and so recently repeated,

that it was still supposed that California might be an island, and that some passage or other from the Gulf to the ocean might somewhere exist south of the mountains seen by Kino, and north of Loreto. If such there proved to be, it would probably, in some part of its course, or at its entrance or its exit, afford the desired port; and, in that case, it was plain that the Spanish government, on account of the interests of com- merce, if for no other reason, would waken up and pay more regard than it had ever hitherto done to the new province.

Upon Ugarte’s return from La Paz, therefore, all the Missions being then in peaceful and prosperous operation, and his Californian-built ship having in the late voyage proved herself a safe, stanch, and swift sailer, he resolved upon making a complete examination and survey of the Gulf shore north of Loreto, with the main object of sailing into and through the passage to the ocean, if any such existed, and finding the much wished-for port, if any such were in that way to be discovered. It was in May, 1721, that he set sail, having on board his ves- sel twenty persons, and being accompanied by a boat, or pinnace, manned by eight persons, intended for shore work. He proceeded first to the mouth of the Mulegé, and from that point began his exploration northward, care- fully draughting the coast as he went along.

It is not our purpose in this paper to follow the course of the vessel upon this voyage; but a few of the many interesting incidents may be given. At one place, as the ship was coasting along an apparently deserted shore, the navi- gators perceived a solitary Indian engaged in erecting a cross upon the beach. They turned the bow of their vessel toward it, upon which the Indian retired behind a neighboring hill. The navigators nevertheless ran in, and, upon rearing the beach, several of those in the pin- nace jumped upon the sand, proceeded to the cross, and fell upon their knees before it. As soon as they did so, the Indian from behind the hill gave a shout, and immediately a large body of his countrymen, who had remained concealed, made their appearance, and received the stran- gers with all the signs of friendship and wel- come, and many of them threw themselves into the water, and swam to the ship, for the pur- pose of embracing Father Ugarte and obtain- ing his blessing. It afterward appeared that these Indians had already heard of the mission- aries, and learned that by thus erecting a cross, and observing the respect paid to it, they would always be able to recognize their friends, as was the case here.

On another occasion, higher up the Gulf, as the vessel lay at the mouth of the river Cavorca,