Colonial Expeditions to the Interior of California Central Valley, 1800-1820 — John Shaqi
Colonial Expeditions to the Interior of California Central Valley, 1800-1820Cook, Sherburne Friend
History
Colonial Expeditions to the Interior of California Central Valley, 1800-1820
Cook, Sherburne Friend
California -- Discovery and exploration; California -- History -- To 1846 -- Sources; Central Valley (Calif.)
_July 21._ This morning we left the village of Olomosong, going north,
and at four leagues we came to a village of five houses inhabited by 4
men and 7 women. In this village, called Gecp, I baptized 2 old women of
eighty to ninety years. The first I called Maria Josefa and the second
Josefa Maria. Today my interpreter had to go back on account of illness
and I was left with another from Mission San Fernando, who also asked
to be relieved. All the road today has been through broken mountains,
through which ran an insignificant arroyo. We slept in a valley in which
there was a small stream of water.
_July 22._ Very early in the morning we set out toward the north. At the
beginning of our journey we had to climb a mountain by a very bad path.
Soon we came out upon some plains[1] and at two leagues we reached the
village of Talihuilimit where I baptized 3 old women, the first of sixty
years, one of whose legs was paralyzed. To her I gave the name Maria
Magdalena. This woman has a son at Santa Ynez. The second might have
been sixty-five years old, and had been bitten in the hip by a bear. To
her I gave the name Maria Marta. She has a Christian son at La Purisima.
The third whom I baptized might have been over one hundred years old
and I called her Maria Francisca. The village may contain 25 heathen
Indians. In the afternoon we traveled toward the east and at six leagues
found the village of Lisahua.[2] This village consists of 28 heathens of
whom I baptized 5: 4 extremely old women, and 1 old man. The women I
named Maria Juana, Juana Maria, Maria Antonia, and Antonia Maria; the
man I named Juan. Near this village flows a stream of water like that at
Mission San Fernando. The land is arid and saline. There is no grass or
timber.
_July 23._ This day at dawn we left the village of Lisahua, going toward
the east, and at four leagues we found a village called Cuia, with nine
houses and 14 men, 19 women, 8 children, all heathen. I baptized here
5 old women and 2 old men: the women I named Maria Ambrosia, Ambrosia
Maria, Maria Antonia, Antonia Maria, Nicolosa, and the men Ambrosio and
Nicolas. Near the village are three small springs which are of little
consequence. The land is arid, saline, and without any timber in the
vicinity.
Four leagues south of this village is the village of Siguecin. The
latter has 10 men, 19 women, and a few children. I baptized here two old
women, one of more than one hundred, the other of seventy, years of age.
The first I called Anastacia and the second Rafaela. In these two last
villages there are two little wells. The country is arid and alkaline
and there are no trees in the neighborhood. We went back to sleep at the
village of Lisahua.
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