Padre
Crespi, Pilotin (Mate) Jose Canizares. Twenty-five soldados de
cuera[10], three muleteers, and eleven Christian Indians--forty-two men.
With the governor marched Junipero Serra, fifteen soldados de cuera,
under Sergeant Jose Francisco de Ortega, two servants, muleteers and
Indians--forty-four in all. The previous day, May 14, 1769, being Easter
Sunday, Junipero established the Mission of San Fernando with Fray
Miguel de la Campa as Minister. For the succor and relief of the forces,
both sea and land, Galvez built, at San Blas, a ship which he named in
honor of the protector of the expedition, the San Jose, and loading
her with supplies and provisions, sent her with orders to meet the
expedition at Monterey. She was lost at sea.

There is very little of interest in this march of some two hundred miles
through a barren country to the bay of San Diego. Junipero's diary lies
before me[11]; it is a dreary recital of small incidents of the march,
the Indians they met, the barrancas they crossed, with pious comments,
etc.; no course, no distances traveled, or other like information
necessary to an understanding of the route and country. As a diarist, he
is not to be compared with Crespi. On June 20th they came first in sight
of the sea at the Ensenada de Todos Santos; thence their journey was
by the sea until they came to the rendezvous. As they drew near to San
Diego, their Indian allies began to desert, evidently in fear of the
Dieguenos, whom they began to meet in numbers and who proved a rascally
lot. They thronged the camp and became a perfect nuisance with their
begging and stealing. They begged from Junipero his robe and from the
governor his cuera, waistcoat, breeches, and all he had on. One of them
succeeding in inducing Junipero to take off his spectacles to show
them to him and as soon as he got them in his hands made off with them,
causing the priest a thousand difficulties to recover them. On the 27th
of June Sergeant Ortega, with his scouts, pushed on to San Diego and
announced to the anxious camp the proximity of the governor. Rivera sent
ten of his soldiers with fresh horses back with Ortega, and Portola,
in advance of his command, reached the camp June 29th, and the entire
division arrived, June 30th, in good order and condition, forty-six days
from Velicata.

Let us anticipate their arrival and ascertain the fate of the other
divisions of the expedition. For more than a century and a half the
placid