The neighborhood of
the fort was diligently searched for tracks of a horse herd, but none
were discovered.
They did not know what to think of this delay. At
length, on the 14th of May, the Indians gave notice to some soldiers on
the beach that from the direction of the south men mounted on horses and
armed as they, were coming. It was the first land division under Rivera,
fifty days from Velicata, without the loss of a man or having a sick
one; but they were on half rations; they had only three sacks of flour
left and were issuing two tortillas[12] per day to each man. Great was
the rejoicing in the camp of the sick over the arrival of Rivera's
force. It was now resolved to remove the camp near to the river. This
was done, and a new camp established on a hill in what is now known as
"Old Town," where a stockade was made and the cannon mounted. The
surgeon, Pedro Prat, devoted himself to the sick, but the deaths
continued, until of the ninety and more who had sailed from La Paz,
two-thirds were laid under the sand of Punta de los Muertos[13]. It was
now thought best to send one of the packets to San Blas to inform the
viceroy and the visitador of the state of the expedition, and it was
feared that if this were longer delayed, the ship would be unable to put
to sea for lack of mariners. The San Antonio was selected for this
purpose, and was prepared for sea, but as she was about to sail, the
camp was thrown into an ecstasy of joy by the arrival of Portola and the
second division, sound in body, and with 163 mules laden with
provisions. The governor promptly informed himself of the condition of
affairs, and desirous that the senor visitador's orders concerning the
sea expedition should be carried out, offered to Captain Vila of the San
Carlos sixteen men of his command to work the ship, that he might pursue
the voyage to Monterey. As Vila had lost all his ship's officers,
boatswain, storekeeper, coxswain of the launch, and there was not a
sailor among the men offered by Portola, he declined to go to sea under
such conditions. All the available sailors were therefore placed on
board the San Antonio, and she sailed for San Blas, June 8th, with eight
men only for a crew.
The governor now proceeded to organize his force for the march to
Monterey. He determined to move at once, lest the advancing season
should expose them to the danger of having the passes of the sierra
closed by snow, as even at San Diego those who came by sea reported the
sierras covered with snow on their arrival in April.
On the 14th of July, Portola began his march to Monterey, distant one
hundred and fifty-nine leagues.
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