and dismissed them with presents of beads and
trinkets. On the 6th, they reached the end of the canada, which suddenly
turned to the east, and saw that the estero[32] was finished in a
spacious valley. To the canada they gave the name of San Francisco[33].
Traveling a short distance towards the east, they camped on a deep
arroyo, whose waters came down from the sierra and flowed precipitately
into the estero. They were on the San Francisquito creek, near the site
of Stanford University[34].

Having failed to get through to Point Reyes by the ocean beach route,
Portola now sent Ortega around by the contra costa giving him four
days in which to explore the country and find the port containing the
supply-ship.

Ortega with his exploradores, guided by some friendly Indians from the
neighboring rancherias, set out after noon on November 7th and returned
in the night of the 10th. He reported that he had seen no sign of port
or ship, and was convinced he had not understood the information the
Indians had tried to convey to him, and that the port of Monterey could
not be in advance. They also reported that the country they had seen
towards the north and northeast was impassable for the expedition, for
the reason that the Indians had burned the grass and, in addition,
were hostile and would dispute the passage. They said that they had
encountered another immense estero on the northeast (Carquinez Strait),
which also ran far inland and connected with the one on the southeast,
and that to double it would take many leagues of travel[35].

During the absence of the explorers, the people of the expedition were
compelled for want of meat to eat oak acorns, which caused them much
suffering from indigestion and fever.

Portola called a council of officers, on November 11th, to determine the
best course to pursue. The decision was unanimous to return to the Point
of Pines and renew the search for the elusive Puerto de Monterey, which
they believed they had left behind. This was at once acted upon, and the
command took up the march in the afternoon of that day, returning by
the route of its coming, and on the 27th camped in sight of the Point of
Pines at a little lake of muddy water. They had partly subsisted on wild
geese which they shot, and on mussels gathered from the rocks of the
coast. The following day, November 28th, they moved across the Point of
Pines and camped in the canada of the Carmelo, where was plenty of wood
and good