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.)
_24th day._ At dawn we found ourselves on approximately the same
parallel as that where we were at the start of the trip of the 22nd. At
eight o'clock we arrived at the place called "Los Meganos"[34] opposite
the Julpunes. Here we ate breakfast. At noon we started out to meet the
Commandant in the Strait of the Chupcanes [Carquinez Strait], which we
reached at six o'clock in the afternoon. There we met the gentleman
mentioned, he having got there in the morning. The region traversed
this afternoon is the mouth of the San Joaquin, and it must be crossed
at high tide because it contains a shoal on which boats run aground.
The difference noticed between the Sacramento River and the San Joaquin
is that the latter carries a smaller volume of water, although in some
places it is wider. All that we have passed is nothing but pure tule
swamp, without a tree under which the wanderer will find shade or
a stick of wood with which to warm himself. On the other hand, the
Sacramento, when it is not flooded, has dry land on both banks, with
groves of trees as before described, and seems to carry a greater
volume of water. We covered during the preceding night and during
the day twenty leagues north, northwest, and west.
_25th day._ At dawn of this day of the Pentecost Mass was sung and
thereafter again the Praefacio so that during the next two days Mass
should not be lacking. We set out at nine o'clock with a headwind. It
was quite hard navigating through the whole strait, which will be about
two leagues long and one half, more or less, wide. After leaving the
strait the sea was fair and at three o'clock in the afternoon we arrived
at a place called Olegario Point near Angel Island. Here we stopped
after having traveled some ten leagues toward the southwest.
_26th day._ At two o'clock in the morning, before the tide had finished
going out, we passed the narrow entrance of the harbor, arriving almost
by dawn at the beach of the Presidio. After having said Mass at the
latter place we returned to the Mission of Our Father San Francisco with
all good fortune, thanks to the Lord, to whom be the Glory forever and
ever, Amen.
Fr. Narciso Duran
(rubric)
_Luís Argüello's Report_
The second report of the expedition to the delta is a document whose
title page states that it is a letter to the Governor, Don Pablo Vicente
de Sola, and "incorporates" a diary of the expedition, which was "in
company with Frays Narciso Duran and Ramón Abella." The account is
signed by Luís Antonio Argüello and was undoubtedly written by him. The
style indicates that the letter incorporates a revision or abstract of
Argüello's diary rather than an actual copy of it (see the introduction
to the letter).
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