Daily Los Angeles herald., 1881-08-07

of provisions and the sufferings
they had undergone and the bad
condition OF their food, nearly all
slckened, only eight remained fit
for service. The distinguished and
noble missionary and traveller,
Father Junipero Sierra, was one of
this eight. The chief engineer,
Castanyo, distinguished for his
ability and endurance, was another
of those who remained on foot. 1t
is narrated that Father Junipero
and Castanyo were the only two
persons who were strong enough to
dig the graves and bury their com.
panions. 1t was long time before
the provisions came overland to
relieve the perishing colonists.
The first expedition that was sue
cessful was the one sent under the
auspices of the fathers OF the Col
lege Of San Fernando, divided into
three detacbments, two by land
through Lower California, and one
by sea. This expedition had a
military force with it, composed OF
four companies. The one by sea
set sail from San Bias, touching at
Loreto, then at San Diego and
Monterey; the names of the vessels
comprising it were San Carlos, San
Antonio ahd San jose OF these
vessels the San Antonio arrived at
| San Diego on the llth of April,
1859, and the San Carlos arrived at
Monterey on the lst of May of the
same year. The San jose was never
heard of afterwards. OF the land
| detachments one arrived at San
Diego on the 18th of May and the
other on the 1st of July, 1859. They
| brought various kinds of animals
to stock the country with, like
| horses, cattle. etc, and some agTl-
cultural implements and carpen-
ters' and masons' tools. The mill
tary commander OF this expedition
was Don Gsspsr de Portala, q
cavalry captain, who was appoint
ed by the Viceroy Governor of Cal
ifornia and also Commanding Cen
sral thereof. This was the first
settlement made in upper CalifoT-
nia,a and from that time commenced
the subsequent settlements Of the
REST vi t1b MISSiOuS lttlts
1t will be of interest to know, in
connection with the early history
Of California, that in 1779, the
Vioeroy Bucareli ordered some ex-
plorations TO be made on the Paci-
f1c, and there sailed on the llth day
of February from San Bias two
frigates, called Nuestra Sefiora del
Rosario (or La Princesa) and Nues-
ira Ssfisra de los Remedies, under
the Gem nand of Don Ygnacio Ar
tesga, Lieutenant of The Royal
Navy. The expedition touched at
place, "A sort of open roadstead,
about the Both degree north and
landed on shore aboundiug in
| beautiful streams and covered with
forests, which was named Santa
Cruz, because it WAS discovered on
the % of May, that day being con-
seerated to the Holy Cross. Arte-
aga ordered some of his men in a
| lighter well provisioned and armed,
for eighteen days, to land, taking
| with them triDkets and blankets to
exchange with tue Indians and
gaia their confidence. These peo.
pie found, some IDdians with whom
they exchanged their trinkets and
blankets for arrows and other ma
| tive curiosities. After this the .ex-
petition proceeded on the 1st of
July due north, following the
coast, and reached the Goth degree,
taking possession Of the place in
the name Of Charles III of Spain.
The Spaniards found that the Rus
SLAMS in their charts were In error
as to placing about this locality a
passage or strait TO the North Sen.
rhe expedition then sailed due
west, and about the 59lh degree dis
| covered some islands which were
named Nuestra Stflora de la Regla.
| Here Arteaga held a council of war,
so as to determine what to do next,
and 1t was resolved to return to the
bay of San Francisco and from
there to San Bias, the crew and
soldiers being quite sick with sour
Wy. The ceremonies with which
they took possession of these
| islands was about the same per-
formed by Columbus in taking pos
session of San Salvador nearly
three centuries before. 1t was as
follows: Two priests, Juan Rlboo
and Matias Noriega, who served as
chaplains to the vessels, with Ar.
teaga first landed. This last one
took cross and, the crew having
landed, all turned toward it anu
worshipped it, singing the Te
Deatnl, the commanding officer, Ar
teaga, saying that he took posses.
sion of that land in the name of
the King Of Spain, as the
Kings own land, as it be.
longed to the King, by virtue
of the Bull of Alexander vi; and
as proof of actual possession he
drew his sword and violently
| struck trees, stones and the soil, as
King Antonio Dsbila y Samudio,
the Escribano, acting to bear tes-
timony and reduce to writing the
acts accompanying the taking pos.
session. After this large cross
was taken by Artags and all the
crew having formed in process
ion followed him, singing litany.
The cross was placed In the ground,
surrounding its foot with stones,
as a memorial that possession was
duly taken of the land. All then
bowed to the cross and prayed that
God would save the Indians from
ldolatry, the priests singing sa-
cred hymn. On the cross near the