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.)
_11th day._ At dawn the Indians returned to bid us farewell with much
rejoicing. We took the direction of the village of Telame,[4] where we
arrived at sunset. The people of this big village we found to be totally
dispersed on account of the heavy mortality and great famine which they
had been suffering. However, we were received with much affability and
were given presents. The Father succeeded in baptizing four very old
women and one man who was dying.
_12th day._ We set out in search of the village of Choynoct,[5] spending
almost all the day looking for it. We found it in the same manner as the
previous one [Telame] and in the same condition. From there we went to
pass the night higher up on the San Gabriel River.
_13th day._ We went on and spent the night at the crossing of this river.
_14th day._ We took the direction of the village of Sumtache.[6] After
having gone about a league and a half into the tule swamp along a narrow
trail we found the village on the other side of an arm of the lake, with
some twenty armed men in front of it. However, after we had talked to
them and stated the purpose of our visit, several of them laid down
their weapons and came to where we were. Reproached for having received
the troops in such a manner, they said they were scared because the
fugitive Indians from Soledad had told them the soldiers were coming to
kill them all. Asked by the Father where were the four Indians of his
mission who were fugitives in this village, they replied that two had
gone to the village of Bubal to join the Christians who were there with
license to travel (as actually was the case) and that the other two had
gone the previous week to the village of Tulamne, toward the south.
After instructing them, according to the Governor's orders, that they
should accept no fugitives in the future we took the path toward the
village of Bubal. We did not arrive until about eleven o'clock in the
evening because its location had been changed and the guide could not
find it. Here we were received with more affability than at the previous
places.
_15th day._ At dawn we followed our course toward a junction with the
party of Sergeant José Dolores Pico, a junction which we actually
effected at about seven o'clock in the afternoon. In all the journey
described no slaughter of horses has been observed and no adverse
sentiment on the part of the Indians excepting only the fear inspired
among them at the village of Tache and Sumtache by the fugitives from
Soledad. I may note that at the village of Tache the Father baptized the
only man discovered there, a man incapacitated, covered with leprosy
[lepra], and debilitated by illness.
As far as the remainder of the expedition is concerned, up to the 2nd of
December, I refer to the account written by Sergeant José Dolores Pico,
since I have no additions or changes to make in it. The foregoing is
what I have to communicate to your Excellency, in compliance with my
obligations.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account