waters of San Diego bay had lain undisturbed by any craft more
formidable than the tule rafts (balsas de enea) of the natives, when
on the 11th of April, 1769, a silent ship slowly entered the bay and
dropped her anchor not far from the point where now the ferry boat for
Coronado leaves the slip. It was the San Antonio, the first arrival at
the rendezvous. No attempt was made to land, for they were alone and
dread scurvy had them in its grip. Two had died, and most of the ship's
company were sick. On the 29th, the San Carlos arrived, 110 days from La
Paz, with her company in even worse condition. All were sick, some had
died, and only four sailors remained on their feet, aided in working the
ship by such of the soldiers as were able to help. She had been driven
far out of her course; had found herself short of water, and had to
put into the island of Cedros to supply herself, and it was with the
greatest difficulty she reached the bay of San Diego. The first thing
to be done was to find good water and to minister to the sick. For this
purpose there landed, on May 1st, Don Pedro Fages, Don Miguel Costanso,
and Don Jorge Estorace, with twenty-five men-soldiers, sailors, etc.,
all who were able to do duty, and, proceeding up the shore, found, by
direction of some Indians, a river of good mountain water at a distance
of three leagues to the northeast. Moving their ships as near as they
could, they prepared on the beach a camp, which they surrounded with a
parapet of earth and fascines, and mounted two cannon. Within they made
two large hospital tents from the sails and awnings of the ships, and
set up the tents of the officers and priests. Then they transferred the
sick. The labor was immense, for all were sick, and the list of those
able to perform duty daily grew smaller. The difficulties of their
situation were very great. Nearly all the medicines and food had been
consumed during the long voyage, and Don Pedro Prat, the surgeon,
himself sick with scurvy, sought in the fields with a thousand anxieties
some healing herbs, of which he himself was in as sore need as the
others. The cold made itself felt with vigor at night and the sun burned
them by day--alternations which made the sick suffer cruelly, two or
three of them dying every day, until the whole sea expedition which had
been composed of more than ninety men, found itself reduced to eight
soldiers and as many sailors in a state to attend to the safeguarding of
the sh