USA > California > San Diego County > San Diego > City of San Diego and San Diego County : the birthplace of California, Volume I > Part 4
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52
In view of the distress of the sea expeditions, it was decided to send the San Antonio with such sailors as were able to work, to San Blas to report what had occurred and come back with more seamen. The San Antonio, however did not get away until July 9, and on the voyage of twenty-one days down the coast nine of Captain Perez' men died. Such were the ravages of the disease with which the Spanish forces had to compete.
Father Crespi's letter gives an interesting description of the native Indians. Although Captain Vila's men had reported that at
8
CITY OF SAN DIEGO AND SAN DIEGO COUNTY
the rancheria near the mouth of the San Diego river was a settlement of only about forty families, Father Crespi in his letter wrote that on the way up the land expedition had passed many rancherias and that inland from the harbor were many more Indians, gentiles, than at the harbor's shores. The natives, he wrote, using terms which showed his solicitude, were wretched. On the way north the expedi- tion had had a good chance to observe the habits of these people. The males went perfectly naked; the women, however were "decently covered", fibre and animal skins forming their garments. Both men and women were much painted. The cartilage of the male Indian's nose was pierced and filled with a piece of shell. All of the natives were active, wrote Father Crespi. Then Father Crespi told about the San Diego River which had been running so wide a few weeks before. Its bed, so an exploring party found, was dry in many places, with a streamlet here and there; even three leagues up there was no running water. Still, Father Crespi spoke hopefully of the possibility of raising good crops, in which the Franciscan Fathers did notable work in later years, always contending against conditions of which they had to learn as they went along and against which they accomplished veritable wonders. In fact, the great work of irrigation by which this "semi-arid" section has been made to produce fruits and vegetables for a nation's consumption was started by these same fathers in the early days. The remains of the dam and irrigation works by which they experimented successfully are still visible at the site of the Mission dam, a few miles up the river.
Let us, however, go back to the newcomers at the mouth of the river. Such as were able to be around were either exploring the nearby country or attending to the sick when, on June 29, Don Gaspar de Portola, who had come on ahead of his party with a few men, arrived at the harbor. Two days later, just before noon, the main body of the expedition, Father Serra being with this force of about sixty men, arrived. More than forty were natives of Lower Cali- fornia.
There was much rejoicing at the reunion. The next day was Sunday, and the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and a solemn High Mass of Thanksgiving was offered in honor of St. Joseph, patron of the expedition. Father Engelhardt estimates that about 119 survivors, many of those very ill, of the 219 who had started from Lower California in the four expeditions, celebrated the reunion.
On July 3, Father Serra wrote to Father Palou, who was Presi- dente of the order in Lower California after Father Serra had left for Upper California. Because this was the first letter of this great missionary after his arrival in San Diego and because it shows in a way not only his enthusiasm but his orderly mind and observant eye, it is reproduced herewith in full. It is a rather peculiar fact that one historian's translation which this writer examined and compared with the Spanish text given in Father Palou's "Vida" was far from com- plete and that another, evidently made with more care, was not strictly accurate. A third, given in Father Engelhardt's work on the missions of California, was not only complete but accurate. It is herewith reproduced.
9
CITY OF SAN DIEGO AND SAN DIEGO COUNTY
BLESSED BE JESUS, MARY, AND JOSEPH.
Rev. Father Lector and Presidente Francisco Palou-My dear Brother and Senor: I shall rejoice if Your Reverence be in good health and laboring with much consolation and success in firmly estab- lishing your new mission field of Loreto and of the others; and if, as soon as possible, the reinforcement of new missionaries comes, so that everything may be established in good order for the consola- tion of all. Thanks be to God, I arrived here day before yesterday, the first of the month, at this truly beautiful and justly famed Port of San Diego. I here came up with all who had preceded me by land as well as by sea, except those who had died. Here are our companions, the Fathers Crespi, Vizcaino, Parron, Gomez, and myself, all well, thanks be to God. Here are the two ships; the San Carlos is without sailors, for all have died of scurvy, save one and a cook; the San Antonio, otherwise El Principe, whose captain is Don Juan Perez, a countryman from Rivera de Palma, arrived here twenty days before the other, although she had set sail a month and a half later. Just as she was about to sail for Monterey, the San Carlos arrived. While the crew of the San Antonio endeavored to succor those of the San Carlos, they themselves were infected, so that eight of them died. In the end, it was resolved that the San Antonio should return from here to San Blas and bring up sailors for herself and for the San Carlos, and that thereupon both should sail. We shall see in what condition the San Jose arrives. If she comes in good condition, she, the last ship, will be the first to depart.
Two things have caused the disaster on the San Carlos. The first were the defective barrels from which it was unexpectedly dis- covered water had escaped, so that of four barrels not enough was left to fill one. Hence they were obliged to hasten to land to take water ; but what they obtained was of poor quality, and from drinking it the crew began to take sick. The second cause was the misap- prehension under which all labored, His Excellency as well as the rest, that this port lay between latitude thirty-three and thirty-four degrees ; for some authors claim the one and some the other. Galvez had given strict orders to Captain Vila as also to the other captain to sail out into the ocean and proceed as far as latitude thirty-four degrees and then to cruise in search of said port ; but since this port is actually not in a higher latitude than thirty-three degrees and thirty- four minutes, according to the observations made by the officials here, the ships passed far beyond this port, so that when they looked for it, they failed to find it; and this caused the voyage to be prolonged. Furthermore, as the crew already ill reached a colder climate and continued using the unwholesome water, they were also much pros- trated that, if they had not made for the port soon, all would have perished ; for they were already unable to let down the launch to obtain water or to do any other work. Father Fernando labored faith- fully with the sick, and although he became feeble, nothing particular happened to him, and now he is already in good health. I shall not let him embark again, and he is glad to stay here.
On this occasion I am writing at some length to the Inspector- General, to the College, and to our Father Commissary-General. Hence
10
CITY OF SAN DIEGO AND SAN DIEGO COUNTY
I am somewhat tired. If it had not been that Captain Perez, seeing me so occupied, diverted himself otherwise. I believe he would have sailed away and I should have been unable to write at all. With regard to the journey of Fr. Juan Crespi in company with the cap- tain, he tells me that he is writing a letter to Your Reverence and sending it by this same bark, so that I have nothing to say. So far as I am concerned, the journey has been truly a happy one, without any noteworthy break in my health. I started out from the frontier mission with my foot and leg in the worst condition ; but God operated so that each day I was more relieved, and made the journey as if had no such malady. At present the foot is altogether as sound as the other : but from the ankle to half way up, the leg is like the foot was before, one sore; but there is no swelling nor more pain than an occasional itching: in fact, it is not worth mentioning.
I have suffered neither hunger nor want; nor have the Indians Neophytes who came with us suffered ; and so all have arrived sound and strong. I have kept a diary. On the first occasion, I shall transmit to Your Reverence a part of it. The missions in the regions which we have seen will all thrive very well, because there is good land and sufficient water. On the road hither and for great distances back, there are no rocks nor thorns; but there are hills, indeed, very high and continuous, though composed only of earth. Some roads are good, others are bad; more, however, are of the latter kind, though it is no matter of importance. About half way or earlier from where we started. we began to encounter many arroyos and ravines overgrown with poplar trees. There are pretty and large wild vines ; in some places they are loaded down with grapes. In various arroyos along the road and in the place where we are now, besides wild grapevines, there are various roses of Castile. In fine, it is a good country, very much different from the land of Old California.
From May 21, when we left San Juan de Dios, as I wrote Your Reverence, until July 1, when we arrived here, save eight days during which we rested the animals, one day here and another there, we have journeyed every day. However, the longest march was six hours : of such days there have been but two. On the other days the march lasted four or four and a half hours, from two to three, and even only one and a half hours, as on each day the diary states, and that, too, at the pace of the pack-mules. From this it may be inferred that, when one is well equipped and the roads are more direct. many leagues of the superfluous circuits could be cut off. The road is not very long. I believe that after this trouble is taken, it would be a matter of about twelve days for the Fathers; and the soldiers right now declare that, lightly burdened, they would go to the fron- tier Mission of San Fernando de Velicata in much less time.
The natives are exceedingly numerous, and all of this coast of the South Sea along which we came from the Ensenada at Todos Santos, so-called on the maps and charts, live well on various seeds and on fish which they catch from rafts made of tules and formed like canoes, with which they venture far out on the sea. The Indians are very friendly. All the males, men as well as boys, go naked. The women and girls are decently covered as far as the breast. In that manner they would approach us, on the road as well as in the
11
CITY OF SAN DIEGO AND SAN DIEGO COUNTY
camps. They would treat us with such confidence and ease as if they had known us all their life. When we wished to give them something to eat, they would say they did not want that, but clothing. Only for things of this kind would they barter their fish with the soldiers and muleteers. All along the road were seen rabbits, hares, and sometimes a deer, and very many antelopes.
The expedition by land, the governor tells me, he will continue together with the captain (Rivera) three or four days from now. He will leave us here, he says, with eight leather-jacket soldiers as guards and some sick Catalonian soldiers who may serve in the same capacity when they have recovered. The mission has not been founded, but I shall take steps in that direction as soon as they depart. My friend, I had written so far, when my countryman, the captain, came and told me that he could wait no longer without loss, and so I conclude with saying that the Fathers here earnestly recommend themselves to Your Reverence; that we are well and contented ; that I recommend myself to Father Martinez and the other companions to whom I intended to write, but cannot ; I shall do so at the first opportunity. Because the captain tells me he is going to sail for the south. I am sending this letter to Father Ramos, that he may read it and forward it to Your Reverence, whose life and health God may keep many years. From this port and proposed new mission of San Diego in northern California, July 3, 1769. B. L. M. de V. R., your most affectionate brother and servant, Fr. Junipero Serra.
On July 9, the San Antonio, with Capt. Perez in command and with such sailors aboard as could work, set sail for San Blas to report the situation to Don Jose de Galvez, and arrived at that port twenty-one days later, with nine of the crew having died on the voyage down the coast. On July 14 Portola set out in command of a· land expedition to search for Monterey Bay. Only a small force was left behind in San Diego-six or eight soldiers, a corporal, blacksmith, carpenter, servant, eight Christian Indians, who had come from Lower California, and Dr. Pedro Prat. Meanwhile, so Palou records, Father Serra's zeal did not allow him to forget the principal object of his coming and on July 16, anniversary of the day on which the Spaniards had gained a great victory over the Mohamme- dans, in 1212, he, assisted by Fathers Vizcaino and Parron, raised the cross where he had planned that the chapel of the mission at San Diego was to stand, selecting a site which he regarded as most appropriate for the building of the city. "within sight of the harbor." It was only a rude structure, hands being few and weak-one of a few simple huts, roofed with tules, but a provisional church to serve until a better chapel could be erected. This was the formal beginning of the Mission San Diego de Alcala.
Father Serra and Father Parron tried to attract to the chapel with gifts and expressions of affection the Indians who swarmed about, but the Indians, of course, could not understand Spanish, seemed to care for little but gifts of cloth, refusing all food as if it had been poison, and day by day became more insolent, and prone to thievery, molesting even soldiers and sailors who lay sick abed. The refusal of the Indians to accept food from the newcomers was
12
CITY OF SAN DIEGO AND SAN DIEGO COUNTY
doubtless a boon to the Spanish party, for it had need of all the provisions it had brought; as Father Palou wrote later, the little group at San Diego, if the Indians had taken food as eagerly as they took cloth, would have been left to starve.
It soon became evident to the Spaniards that the Indians were going to attempt to attack the party, and on August 15 the attempt was made in earnest, when some of the soldiers happened to be away from the little settlement. The Indians saw the soldiers depart, and, coming in large force, armed with bows and arrows, fell upon the Mission, intent on stealing everything on which they could lay their hands. The soldiers came back in haste, having slipped on their leather jackets, which seem to have been ample protection against the arrows of the Indians, and sped after the invading horde. The Indians hastily withdrew, letting loose a volley of arrows. The sol- diers had come to the opinion that it was time to teach the Indians a lesson and began shooting their guns at the robbers, of whom at least several were killed and a number wounded. The Indian arrows also did some execution, Joseph Maria, the servant of the fathers, being killed, and Father Vizcaino receiving a wound in the hand which left it partly crippled as long as he lived. Two others of the party were wounded, but slightly.
The lesson was apparently not lost on the Indians, who, when they did venture back, were not allowed to bring their weapons into the stockade which the Spanish party soon erected and who offered no more violence for some time. Also, they displayed a considerable change of attitude when they brought their wounded to the Spanish doctor for treatment, which was gladly and effectively given.
Father Serra, according to his faithful biographer, Father Palou, was deeply concerned not only over the battle but because he was making little apparent headway in gaining converts. Much of his hope rested on the assistance which he was getting from an Indian boy of about fifteen years, who had shown more friendliness than his companions for the fathers and the rest of the party and of whom it is quaintly related that he refrained from stealing anything. Him the Spaniards and the fathers treated with some extra consideration that he might become an interpreter, as he later did. When he learned a little Spanish, Father Serra besought him to bring a small child, with the consent of the parents, that it might be baptized, or, as Father Palou relates, "as he would like to make him a Christian like ourselves, by putting a little water on his head, and in' that way he would become a child of God and of the Father and a brother to the soldiers, who would also give him clothing that he might go about dressed like the Spaniards." In a few days the boy returned with a crowd of Indians, one of whom carried a little boy, indicating by signs that he was willing to have him baptized. Joyful at this, Father Serra gave the man a piece of cloth to cover the infant, invited the corporal to act as sponsor and summoned the other soldiers to act as witnesses. Father Serra went through with part of the ceremony and then began to pour out the water for baptism. At that point the savage snatched the boy and ran, leaving Father Serra holding the baptismal shell. The other Indians also ran away. The soldiers,
13
CITY OF SAN DIEGO AND SAN DIEGO COUNTY
incensed at the incident, were for following and inflicting punishment, but were dissuaded by the father, who, bowed in sorrow, went about for days with his countenance filled with the pain he felt and which he recalled at many times in later years, when he often had to stop to dry his tears in the relation of what had happened. In view of the success of the mission in later years, the incident may seem now to the casual reader to have been of small importance, but to Father Serra it was important, and he felt it deeply.
Despite the careful nursing of their comrades and the good work done by Doctor Prat, 19 more of the little force died before Portola's expedition, having failed to find Monterey Bay, returned, discouraged, to San Diego, on January 24, 1770. Father Serra had failed to gain a convert, but had hoped that when Portola came back his men would do much to make the mission permanent. Portola, however, was about ready to abandon the whole project relating to Upper California and at last declared that if, by the Feast of St. Joseph, March 19, the ship San Antonio or another did not arrive with needed supplies, he would start the return march to Lower California.
Even then Father Serra did not give up his plans for California. For he wrote to Father Palou on February 10 that he would stay.
"If we see that the provisions are exhausted and also our hope," he wrote, "then I shall remain with only Father Juan [Crespi] to endure to the very last. May God give us of his holy grace !"
The days went, one after another, in waiting doubtless impatient on the part of Portola and his men, but patient and hopeful on the part of the immortal Serra. At last, as the day set by Portola was coming near, Father Serra went aboard the San Carlos, still in the harbor and told Captain Vila of his determination to remain in Cali- fornia with Father Crespi.
"If you agree," he told Captain Vila, "we will come aboard as soon as the [land] expedition leaves and when the other packet boat arrives we will go up by sea in search of Monterey."
To this, Palou writes, Captain Vila assented, and, having decided to keep the matter secret, Father Serra returned to the Mission, where, as is portrayed with historical accuracy and in a colorful, dramatic way in McGroarty's Mission Play, Father Serra continued to hope for relief. When he saw that the feast day of St. Joseph was "now at hand" he proposed to Portola that they should make a novena, or nine days' devotion, to the patron saint of the expedition. This was agreed upon, and the novena was made, with all attending. The day before that set for departing came at last. That same after- noon the prayer of Father Serra was answered and all at this little outpost of civilization, almost to be abandoned, saw a ship. It was just a glimpse, but all were certain that relief, so long expected, had arrived. The vision, says Father Palou, was sufficient to suspend the plan to leave the town, and all were encouraged to remain, attributing the arrival to a miracle. After four days the San Antonio, for this was the ship, came sailing in, and then it became known to the waiting expedition by how little a circumstance had the ship entered the harbor. The captain explained that he had been acting under in- structions from Galvez to sail directly to Monterey and had first
14
CITY OF SAN DIEGO AND SAN DIEGO COUNTY
sailed past San Diego. But the San Antonio lost one of her anchors and her captain, knowing that one was to be had from the San Carlos, had put back.
"In sign of thankfulness," Father Palou wrote, "they agreed that a high mass should be said, in honor of St. Joseph, and that it should be celebrated with the greatest solemnity on the 19th of each month. This the venerable father continued to do with the most holy devotion up to the very last day of his life."
It might seem to the reader that the account of Father Serra's coming, his establishment of the mission and the fulfilment of his hopes to this period have been treated of at considerable length ;
THE SAN DIEGO MISSION First built in California under the direction of Father Junipero Serra
the writer, however, believes that the fullness of the narrative to this point is amply justified when due consideration is given to the rela- tive importance of the events. For it must be remembered that much of the history of San Diego and of California depends on the stead- fast faith of Father Serra. And as Smythe said in his history of San Diego, prepared about fifteen years ago, "a noble monument should be raised by Protestant hands to the memory of the Catholic Fathers."
15
CITY OF SAN DIEGO AND SAN DIEGO COUNTY
Other events, up to the establishment of the second mission at San Diego, or rather, its removal to the north bank of the San Diego River, some six miles up, may be summarized briefly.
When the San Antonio had reached this port and conferences were held, it was agreed that two expeditions, one by sea, one by land, should go to Monterey. Father Serra went on the San Antonio on April 16, Fathers Parron and Gomez with a small guard, re- mained at the mission. Both expeditions reached Monterey safely.
By March, 1771, the mission already had baptized some neophytes. had, according to Captain Fages, made a good beginning as regards temporary buildings and cultivation, and had received from Lower California a considerable shipment of cattle. But by 1772 conditions had grown nearly intolerable. Father Crespi, visiting the mission, found very little to eat, no tallow candles and no wine for masses. In August of that year the situation was relieved by the arrival of supply ships. Soon after that, Father Serra, who had returned from other labor in the north, ran against new difficulty. When he re- minded Captain Fages that the viceroy had given instructions cover- ing the establishment of three more missions, Fages gave curt reply, to the effect that the commander of California had such matters in his charge. After a conference with his associates, Father Serra decided to go to the College of San Fernando, Mexico. There having made a statement of the situation in writing, practically all that he sought was granted by Viceroy Bucareli. The rulings included one that the missionaries should rule the mission Indians as a father rules his family. Father Serra thus fortified, returned to San Diego March 13, 1774.
On January 1, 1774, there went into effect a new set of regu- lations for the military government of San Diego, by which San Diego was made a Presidio. The commander at Monterey was put in charge of all the troops in California. The force at San Diego, according to Father Engelhardt, comprised the following officers, with yearly salaries : lieutenant, $700; sergeant, $450; two corporals, $400 each : 22 soldiers, $365 each; two carpenters for work at the mission and presidio, $300 each : two blacksmiths for the same kind of service, $300 each : storekeeper. $1,000. Sergt. Jose Francisco de Ortega, was made commander of the new presido, with rank as lieutenant. Don Rafael Pedro Gil was appointed storekeeper.
It was in the summer of 1773 that the missionaries determined to select a grain field farther up the valley ; where it was believed that more rain fell and where irrigation could be practiced. The site selected was that of the mission to which San Diegans now refer as the Old Mission. By the end of 1774 the mission had been removed there. It is interesting to note the character of the buildings, as described by Father Serra. First there was the church, made with poles and roofed with tules; then a house containing living rooms for the Fathers, a large warehouse, a house for shepherds and muleteers, a smithy, a house for servants, thirteen houses for Indians and a corral for horses.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.