The
Ship Was Commanded By Don Vicente Vila, Lieutenant Of The Royal Navy;
The Mate Was Don Jorge Estorace, And Twenty-Three Sailors, Two Boys,
Four Cooks, And Two Blacksmiths Made Up The Rest Of The Ship's Company -
Sixty-Two In All.
They embarked on the night of January 9th and sailed
on the 10th.
Galvez appointed Fages gefe de las armas - chief of the
military expedition at sea, and instructed him to retain command of the
soldiers on land until the arrival of the governor at Monterey[9]. On
the 15th of February, Father Junipero performed like offices for the San
Antonio, and she sailed the same day under command of Don Juan Perez,
"of the navigation of the Philippines," carrying Frays Vizcaino and
Gomez, some carpenters, blacksmiths, and cooks, that, with the sailors,
made some ninety persons, all told, on both ships. The rendezvous was
San Diego bay, where all were to meet.
The land expedition was divided into two parts. The first division,
under Rivera, started from Velicata March 24th, and the second, under
command of the governor, started May 15th. With Rivera were Padre
Crespi, Pilotin (Mate) Jose Canizares. Twenty-five soldados de
cuera[10], three muleteers, and eleven Christian Indians - forty-two
men. With the governor marched Junipero Serra, fifteen soldados de
cuera, under Sergeant Jose Francisco de Ortega, two servants, muleteers
and Indians - forty-four in all. The previous day, May 14, 1769, being
Easter Sunday, Junipero established the Mission of San Fernando with
Fray Miguel de la Campa as Minister. For the succor and relief of the
forces, both sea and land, Galvez built, at San Blas, a ship which he
named in honor of the protector of the expedition, the San Jose, and
loading her with supplies and provisions, sent her with orders to meet
the expedition at Monterey. She was lost at sea.
There is very little of interest in this march of some two hundred miles
through a barren country to the bay of San Diego. Junipero's diary lies
before me[11]; it is a dreary recital of small incidents of the march, the
Indians they met, the barrancas they crossed, with pious comments, etc.;
no course, no distances traveled, or other like information necessary to
an understanding of the route and country. As a diarist, he is not to be
compared with Crespi. On June 20th they came first in sight of the sea
at the Ensenada de Todos Santos; thence their journey was by the sea
until they came to the rendezvous. As they drew near to San Diego, their
Indian allies began to desert, evidently in fear of the Dieguenos, whom
they began to meet in numbers and who proved a rascally lot. They
thronged the camp and became a perfect nuisance with their begging and
stealing. They begged from Junipero his robe and from the governor his
cuera, waistcoat, breeches, and all he had on. One of them succeeding in
inducing Junipero to take off his spectacles to show them to him and as
soon as he got them in his hands made off with them, causing the priest
a thousand difficulties to recover them.
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