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.)
_25th day._ We set out at seven o'clock in the morning. We cruised to
the north, with a few turns to the east. I have already said that this
is a branch of the Río de San Francisco. It is necessary to traverse it
by day because it has several tree trunks crosswise in the channel, but
it has depth and width. At about three leagues we suddenly ran onto
three heathen Indians. At first they fled precipitately, but soon they
halted, because one had just been on a visit to Mission San José with
the two other heathen and two neophytes of the same mission, San
José. These we sent to the village so that we should not come upon it
unexpectedly. The third [heathen] we took with us in the boat. At about
two leagues we descried the village, which was in two sections, one on
each side of the river.[49] As soon as [the inhabitants] saw us there
began a great uproar, in spite of which they told us by signs where the
river was deepest. The two guides whom we carried with us managed to
make them be quiet, and performed good services in this respect. We went
ashore and only the priests and two soldiers stayed in the boat. The
Indians went ahead with their chatter and finally they [the natives]
calmed down. The village, as I have said already, is divided between
the two banks of the river, which is perhaps 30 to 40 varas wide. Those
on the left hand, which is to the west,[50] were of evil disposition.
However much those on the right bank tried, they could not induce more
than half of the men [on the left bank] to cross to the other side.
Finally they were half pacified, although it always seemed as if they
were in a bad mood. They were given a few little presents, and they gave
acorn mush to the neophytes. About 200 men presented themselves, for
other villages had joined them. Already they had told us that they, the
Tauquimenes, were going to fight.
There was a large population but only a few old women allowed themselves
to be seen. The young women, boys, and girls had hidden, either in the
brush or in the houses themselves. Soon after we had arrived there
sixteen young men appeared, making a disturbance, as they are accustomed
to do. One of the chiefs ran to meet them, as well as an elderly woman,
and took their bows away from them. We ate with them, although it was
rather uncomfortable because they never did quiet down entirely. They
said they were behaving in this manner because they had been told that
we had killed all the people at the village of the Coyboses, which is
near Pescadero on one of the branches of the Río de San Juan Capistrano
[San Joaquin]. Furthermore, I am sure that [the population] of several
villages had come together in this restricted locality, because some of
the Indians said they had come to gather acorns and there are extensive
woods [here]. At last peace was established and we took our departure,
although before we left we told them that if they wanted to fight, let
them take up their arms. But they said no.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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