Page:Voyage of discovery to the North Pacific Ocean, and round the world in the years 1791-95, volume 3.djvu/360

330 Novcmhcr. rendered the latter very fcarce. The wells that we had dug, on our firft vifit to M(interrey, though not perfe6lly dry, afforded too fmall a quantity to anfwer our demand, and we had no means of obtaining afuHiciency of water nearer than up a valley about half a mile to the eaftward of the Prefidio, and full that diftance from the fea-fide, where a nuggilh Uream oofed through the bed of a water-courfe, compofed of a loofe landy foil ; and here, by finking feveral cafks, temporary wells were formed, which afforded only a fcanty fupply, though the water was ex- tremely good. This mode of procuring it was very tedious, and the dif- tance which the cafks, when filled, had to be rolled, through a loofe Ikndy gully, to the boats, was very great, and proved to be a very labo- rious talk, yet the water was infinitely preferable to any that could have been coUefted from the ftagnated brackilh pools, in the vicinity of the Prefidio.

On funday part of the fhip's company were indulged with a run on Muiiday 10. fjiore, and the day following we were bufily employed in facilitating, as much as poffible, the procuring of our water, by the beft arrangement in our power, notwithftanding which we could not prevent its being a very laborious bufinefs.

The weather continued to be remarkably pleafant, and on tuefday evening Sen' Don Diego Borica arrived at the Prefidio, where, the next morning, accompanied by Mr. Puget and moll of the officers of both vefl'els, I waited upon him, to congratulate him on his fafe arrival, and to acquaint him with my reafons for vifiting the countries under his jurildidion; thefe attentions, I had the pleafure to find were perfeftiy fatisfaftory, and were received in a manner that was highly compatible with the refpeftive llations that each of us had the honor to fill.

The indulgence I had folicited, and which had been granted by Sen' Arguello, was now very pohtely extended by the governor, with further permiffion to ereft our tents and obfervatory on (hore, under the direc- tion of our officers, and proteftion of our own guard, to which he very obligingly added the affuraiKe of doing every thing in his power that could in any way contribute to make our (lay as pleafant and agrec- 1 able .lurkii