The San Francisco call., 1895-12-21

that st. Francis had chosen to possess himself
of-not an inland city, presidio or mission,
such as were planned as second Gordon pro-
tected by the first maritime line of possession
but harbor or puerto which for excellent rea-
sons ne Gid not purpose prematurely revealing
10 either comandante or padre-fundador? Why
was maritime as well as civic headship steadily
reserved for the head of the order and for asso
ciatlon with his name? What traditions of
previous discovery were Portola and Crespi
IoiloWlng when they set off from San Diego de
Aicala Tor the port OF st. Francis without the
intention OF discovering Monterey? They
carried with them Venegas and Cabrera
nhueno, tha as we know What, mention OF
Bueno contain? am absolutely sure
that en- entirely intelligible answer to all these
questions is contained both in the Spanish OF
Palou's Vida and the English of Mr.. Bancrofts
History, but know of no brief and authorita-
i've statement condensing and explaining all
TINS Tor the reader who has not leisure for
dence.
A certain misty and drizzling style of writ
ing even has seemed to envelop the records of
the earliest San Francisco as they come to US
the bay and the port, the Presidio and Mission.
On some foreordained morning in literature
this mist will suddenly lift and reveal them all
IN IA one burst OF California sunshine, in which
SAINT FRANCIS shall como to his own Mean
time, long before the revelation of the port to
Portola and Crespi, he was evidently in as
coliplete possession OF Ii as Arthur yet is OF
Avalon.
Let US examine some of these records.
Marcos de MIA. sent out from Culiacan in
1859, and walking ''as the Holy Ghost did lead
MIN" through Sonora and Arizona called the
country through which he went San Francisco.
tradition succeeded this, that the great
River OF SAINT Francis was an arm or tributary
OF the Rio Colorado.
The actual route of Captain ANA from
sonora to San Francisco may have arisen from
that ot 1888, within which they found ga bay
Almost round, about ten leagues in width,
where the great river of our Father Saint
Francis empties." Palou in 1774 or I775.
The creek called even to this day Las Llagas
de San Francisco is the dividing line between
the archdiocese of San Francisco and the do
cese of Monterey
With sense of relief we assist in the year
I776-a year memorable for other events in
the records of the world-at the formal bap-
tism OF the Presido, Mission and Puerto,
which enthrones forever the great Padre Ser,
ahco and prevents his assignment to any posi-
ton destined to comparative opscurity upon
the Kings highway. There is still before
SAINT francis possible absorption into the
brief suggestion that Saint Francis of
Solano may rival or eclipse him of Assist;
but we realize pleasantly that both these
dangers are passed forever and that every Wis
ltor who looks out from the Presidio upon the
nay is falrly entitled to the emotions awakened
by 1t in Padre Junipero Sierra, Apostle of Upper
California, provided he knows what these
emotions were.
''And for founder, st. Francis, there is no
mission?"-Padre Junipero.
'1f st. Francis desires mission, let him show
us his harbor, and he shall have one."-Then Senior
Don Jose de Galvez.
Interview at the camp of Galvez, San Bias,
1857.
To me, no amount of quoting can ever make
this commonplace Wey in December
Overland