Diary of Miguel Costansó
Portola Expedition, 1769-1770
Sunday, October 1 SP -- We approached somewhat nearer the beach, following the course of the river for about a league. Some of the officers afterwards went with the engineer to examine this beach. There they observed the large bay which the scouts had seen. Its northern point, which ran a considerable distance into the sea, bore northwest at a distance-in their judgment-of eight maritime leagues; the southern point, which formed the hill of pines, bore southwest by south. They did not see the mouth of the estuary because it does not enter and join with the sea where they were, but very much farther to the north.
It was not possible to observe the meridian altitude of the sun with the octant to determine the latitude of the place, because the coast prevented a clear horizon either to north or south. Through the same canyon, 1 league. From San Diego, 159 leagues.
Monday, October 2 SP -- The scouts set out in the morning with a great desire to reconnoiter the Punta de Pinos, convinced that they would not fail to find the port of Monterey which we imagined had been left behind. As it was not possible yesterday to observe the meridian altitude of the sun on the shore, this calculation was made in the camp by means of the gnomon.
The hypotenuse of the right angled triangle was taken as 8000 parts of those into which the line of equal parts of the pantometer, or proportional compasses from a box of mathematical instruments, is commonly divided, and the meridian shadow was taken as 4338. From this, the angle of the meridian altitude of the sun came 57° 10'; its zenith-distance 32° 50'; its declination was 3° 54'; the latitude of the place was therefore 36° 44'.
Tuesday, October 3 SP -- The scouts returned in the afternoon and said that they had not seen a port, either to the north or south of the Punta de Pinos; they did see, however, a small bay lying between the said Punta de Pinos and another point farther to the south. This bay had a stream flowing into it from the mountain range, and an estuary into which the stream emptied. Farther on, the rocky coast extended to the south-southwest; its impenetrable ruggedness obliged them to turn back, and they believed that the steep cliff they had in sight was the same that had obliged us to leave the shore, and to pursue our way through the mountains.
Wednesday, October 4 SP -- Our commander, somewhat confused by these reports, determined to call a meeting of his officers to consider what action was most suitable in the present exigency. He drew attention to the scarcity of provisions that confronted us; to the large number of sick we had among us (there were seventeen men half-crippled and unfit for work); to the season, already far advanced; and to the great sufferings of the men who remained well, on account of the unlimited work required in looking after the horses, and watching them at night, in guarding the camp, and in the continual excursions for exploration and reconnaissance. The meeting was held after we had heard the mass of the Holy Ghost, and all the officers voted unanimously that the journey be continued, as this was the only course that remained, for we hoped to find-through the grace of God-the much desired port of Monterey, and in it the packet San Joseph which would relieve our needs; and, if God willed that in the search for Monterey we should all perish, we would have performed our duty towards God and man, laboring together until death for the success of the undertaking upon which we had been sent.
Thursday, October 5 SP -- The scouts set out early in the morning to examine the country so that we might continue our journey.
Friday, October 6 SP -- The scouts returned in the afternoon with very pleasant news. They had found a river (valley) of great verdure and with many trees of Castile, and they believed that they had seen another point of pines to the north (it was afterwards known, however, that they had been deceived because it was very foggy). They likewise saw tracks of large animals with split hoofs, and thought they might be bison; and a populous village of Indians who lived in huts covered with thatch, and who, according to what they said, must have numbered over five hundred souls. These Indians had no notice of our coming to their lands, as our men could see from the consternation and fright which their presence caused: amazed and confused, without knowing what they did, some ran for their weapons, others shouted and yelled, and the women burst into tears. Our men did all they could to quiet them, and succeeded with great difficulty. The sergeant of the presidio of Loreto, who was in command of the party, dismounted and approached them with signs of peace. The Indians did not allow him to reach their village; they made him signs to stop, and, at the same time, taking their arrows they stuck them all, point first, into the ground; they did the same with other darts and plumes which they brought immediately. They withdrew afterwards, and as the scouts understood that this had been done as a sign of peace, several of them dismounted and took some of these arrows and darts. The natives were very much pleased, and applauded this act of our men, who, to assure them still further that their intention was not to injure them, but rather to seek their friendship, asked them by signs for food. Upon this the contentment of the Indians was increased, and their women immediately set themselves to grind seeds, from which they made some round pats which they gave to our men. The sergeant gave the Indians some glass beads, and they were well satisfied and content.
Saturday, October 7 SP -- We proceeded for two leagues over the plain where we experienced some delay in crossing two swampy ditches which we found on our way. We had to fill them in with earth and fascines so that the pack-animals and horses could pass.We pitched our camp between some low hills near a pond where we saw a great number of cranes-the first we had seen on this journey.
During the night extreme unction was administered to one of the sick whose condition had become very serious. This place was given the name of Laguna de las Grullas.To the Laguna de las Grullas, 2 leagues. From San Diego, 161 leagues.
Sunday, October 8 SP -- We continued our way over hills that were higher than those we were leaving behind; in every depression of the land there was a pond of greater or lesser extent, which obliged us to make many circuits. After marching for four leagues we arrived at the village of which the scouts had given us information; contrary to our expectations, we found it deserted, for on leaving the Laguna de las Grullas we saw, near the camp, arrows and darts stuck in the ground, and at the foot of them some shell- fish which the Indians, without allowing themselves to be seen, had placed there during the afternoon or evening of the preceding day. These signs of peace convinced us that they would allow us to meet and become friendly with them in their village; but the suspicion and fear of these barbarians caused them to desert it. This circumstance we all regretted, as we needed them greatly-chiefly to obtain information in regard to the country, and to accompany the scouts in their explorations, from which we hitherto derived great advantage. We pitched our camp on the bank of the river discovered by the scouts, not far from the village which stood near the riverbottom. This was verdant and pleasant, covered with poplars, alders, and tall white oaks, live-oaks, and another kind of tree that we did not know.
Here we saw a bird that the natives had killed and stuffed with grass; it appeared to be a royal eagle; it was eleven palms from tip to tip of its wings. On account of this find we called the river the Río del Pájaro.To the Ranchería del Pájaro, 4 leagues. From San Diego, 165 leagues.
Monday, October 9 SP -- The short and cloudy days did not give the scouts opportunity to examine the country, especially as we arrived somewhat late at the camping-place. This obliged us to rest here in order to give the scouts time to make their exploration. They left early in the morning and were given the day for this purpose.
They examined the country for (a distance equal to) two day's march of the pack-animals, and returned without any information of importance-which greatly depressed us, considering the scarcity of the provisions and the embarrassment caused by the sick, who could not shift for themselves, the number of the ailing increasing every day.
Tuesday, October 10 SP -- We left the Río del Pájaro and proceeded for one league over level ground, not being able to continue the march farther as the sick were already exhausted, falling down from their mules. We halted near a small pond formed between some low hills-a place with plenty of water and pasture.To the Cañada de Lagunilla del Corral, 1 league. From San Diego, 166 leagues.
Wednesday, October 11 SP -- The sick were in such a serious condition and so near the end, that, the sacrament having already been administered to several of them, we realized it would be exposing them to the possibility of dying on the road if we did not give them some respite and quiet. Our commander resolved, therefore, that they should rest at this place, and that we should proceed as soon as they felt better. In order to save time, however, and to obtain information about the port of Monterey, which we all believed to be near, he ordered a party to set out, and to advance as far as the animals-they were growing very thin from the cold-could go. The sergeant of the presidio with eight men set out on this exploration, each one taking three mules as remounts.
Thursday, October 12 SP -- Nothing happened to-day; the sick felt somewhat better.
Friday, October 13 SP -- Nothing of importance.
Saturday, October 14 SP -- We were anxiously awaiting the scouts who returned in the afternoon. The sergeant reported that they had travailed about twelve leagues without having learned anything of the port for which we were searching, and that they had reached the foot of a high, white mountain range.
Sunday, October 15 SP -- We set out from the Laguna del Corral-a name given to it on account of a piece of fence that was constructed between the lake and a low hill in order to keep the animals penned by night with few watchmen. We marched very slowly so as to cause the sick as little distress as possible; we contrived to carry them on side-saddles, as the women in Andalusia travel. We proceeded for a league and a half, and halted near another small pond in the bottom of a narrow and very pleasant little canyon, with plenty of fire-wood and pasture.
The road was somewhat difficult. We directed our course to the north- northwest, without withdrawing far from the coast, from which we were separated by some high hills very thickly covered with trees which some said were savins. They were the largest, highest, and straightest trees that we had seen up to that time; some of them were four or five yards in diameter. The wood is of a dull, dark, reddish color, very soft, brittle, and full of knots.
This canyon was given the name of La Lagunilla.To La Lagunilla, 11 leagues. From San Diego, 167 1/2 leagues.
Monday, October 16 SP -- From La Lagunilla we came to the bank of a stream of good water, at a distance of two leagues to the west-northwest, travelling in sight of the sea. On our road there were two bad places over which we had to make a way. The first of these was a deep gully thickly grown with brush; the other, a ditch in which, to descend and ascend its sides, we had to open a path.
This place was afterwards called El Rosario.To El Rosario, 2 leagues. From San Diego, 169 1/2.
Tuesday, October 17 SP -- At a distance of two leagues from El Rosario we forded a river considerably swollen; the water reached to the girths of the animals. The descent to the river, and the ascent after we forded it, gave the pioneers much work in clearing and opening a way through a thicket that covered the river-bottom. The same thing had been done at another stream which we had crossed shortly before. We pitched our camp on the right bank of the river which was named San Lorenzo.To the Río de San Lorenzo, 2 leagues. From San Diego, 171 1/2 leagues.
Wednesday, October 18 SP -- We continued to follow the direction of the coast-west-northwest-over high hills which were steep on the side towards the sea. The shore is practically without beach on the whole stretch of two leagues over which we travelled. There were three bad places, in as many canyons,where we had to make a road. These canyons contained running water in very deep ditches, over which it was necessary to lay bridges of logs covered with earth and fascines, so that the packanimals could cross. We pitched our camp on a low hill near the shore, on the eastern side of a canyon which extended from the mountain range, and contained a stream of good water. This place was called Las Puentes.To Las Puentes, 2 leagues. From San Diego, 173 1/2 leagues.
Thursday, October 19 SP -- The march we made on this day was toilsome on account of the many ravines we came upon-there were seven or eight of them-all of which gave the pioneers much work, one especially because of its depth and the ruggedness of its sides. Into this fell the mule that carried the kettle, and for this reason the place was named the Barranco de la Olla.
The coast turns more to the northwest, and is everywhere precipitous, excepting at the outlet of these ravines where there is a short stretch of beach. To our right there were some whitish, barren hills that filled us with sadness, and there were days on which we missed the comfort of seeing natives.
We halted on a very high hill and in sight of the white mountain range, which the scouts had discovered, where some clumps of pines could be seen. At the foot of the low hill, to the right and left, ran some streams containing plenty of water. To-day we travelled for two leagues and a half. This place was given the name of Alto del Jamón.To the AIto del Jamón, 2 1/2 leagues. From San Diego, 176 leagues.
Friday, October 20 SP -- As we set out from the camp a very long slope presented itself; this we had to ascend after crossing the stream which flowed at the foot of the hill to the north. It was necessary to open the way with the crowbar, and in this work we were employed the whole morning. We afterwards travelled a long distance along the backbone of a chain of broken hills, which sloped down to the sea. We halted on the same beach at the mouth of a very deep stream that flowed out from between very high hills of the mountain chain. This place, which was named the Arroyo or Cañada de la Salud, is one league, or a little more, from the Alto del Jamón. The coast, in this locality, runs northwest by north. The canyon was open towards the north-northeast, and extended inland for about a league in that direction.
From the beach a tongue of land could be seen at a short distance, west by north. It was low, and had rocks which were only a little above the surface of the water.To the Cañada de la Salud, 1 league. From San Diego, 177 leagues.
Saturday, October 21 SP -- We rested in this canyon while the scouts employed the day in examining the country.
| Observed with the English octant, facing the sun, the meridian altitude of the lower limb of the sun was found to be | 41° 41' 30" |
| Astronomical refraction to be subtracted | 1' |
| Inclination of the visual (horizon) in consequence of the observer's eye being three to four feet above sea-level, subtract | 2' |
| Semidiameter of the sun to be added | 16' 13' |
| Altitude of the center of the sun | 41° 54' 30" |
| Zenith-distance | 48° 5' 30" |
| Its declination at that hour was | 11° 2' 30" |
| Latitude of the place | 37° 3' |
During the afternoon and night heavy showers fell, driven by a very strong south wind which caused a storm on the sea.
Sunday, October 22 SP -- The day dawned overcast and gloomy; the men were wet and wearied from want of sleep, as they had no tents, and it was necessary to let them rest to-day. What excited our wonder on this occasion was that all the sick, for whom we greatly feared lest the wetting might prove exceedingly harmful, suddenly found their pains very much relieved. This was the reason for giving the canyon the name of La Salud.
Monday, October 23 SP -- We moved the camp a distance of two leagues from the Cañada de la Salud, and camped near an Indian village, discovered by the scouts, situated in a pleasant and attractive spot at the foot of a mountain range and in front of a ravine covered with pine and savin, among which descended a stream from which the natives obtained water. The land appeared pleasant; it was covered with pasture, and was not without fire-wood. We travelled part of the way along the beach; the rest, from the point of rocks previously mentioned, to the village, over high, level land with plenty of water standing in ponds of greater or less extent.
The Indians, advised by the scouts of our coming to their lands, received us with great affability and kindness, and, furthermore, presented us with seeds kneaded into thick pats. They also offered us some cakes of a certain sweet paste, which some of our men said was the honey of wasps; they brought it carefully wrapped in the leaves of the carrizo cane, and its taste was not at all bad.
In the middle of the village there was a large house, spherical in form and very roomy; the other small houses, built in the form of a pyramid, had very little room, and were built of split pine wood. As the large house so much surpassed the others, the village was named after it.
Note: The point of rocks which we left behind is that known as the Punta de Año Nuevo. Its latitude is, with a slight difference, the same as that of the Cañada de la Salud.To the Ranchería de la Casa Grande, 2 leagues. From San Diego, 179 leagues.
Tuesday, October 24 SP -- The Indians of La Casa Grande furnished us with guides to go forward. We travelled to the north over high hills, not far from the shore. We encountered a number of slopes which were rather troublesome, and we had to put them in condition for travel-as also the crossing of two streams, thickly grown with brush-before we arrived at an Indian village, two leagues from the place from which we started. This we found to be without its inhabitants, who were occupied the time in getting seeds. We saw six or seven of them at this work, and they informed us that a little farther on there was another and more populous village, and that the inhabitants of it would make us presents and aid us in whatever we might need. We believed them, and although it was somewhat late we passed on and proceeded for two leagues more over rolling country until we reached the village. The road, while difficult, over high hills and canyons, was attractive. To us, the land seemed rich and of good quality; the watering-places were frequent; and the natives of the best disposition and temper that so far we had seen.
The village stood within a valley surrounded by high hills, and the ocean could be seen through an entrance to the west-northwest. There was in the valley a stream of running water, and the land, though burned in the vicinity of the village, was not without pasture on the hillsides.To the Valle de los Cursos, 4 leagues. From San Diego, 183 leagues.
Wednesday, October 25 SP -- Many of the pack-mules were exhausted by the preceding day's march, and they were given a rest to-day that they might recover their strength. The scouts were sent out to examine the country with guides from among these Indians. They returned in the evening without any news of importance; they had gone about four leagues to the north-northwest along the coast.
Thursday, October 26 SP -- As the captain of the company of the Californias, Don Fernando de Rivera y Moncada, was ill of the common sickness-the scurvy-and, because of a diarrhea which attacked many of us we were forced to delay the march.
Friday, October 27 SP -- We left the valley, which the soldiers called Valle de los Cursos, heading north. Afterwards, we followed the coast over high hills to the north- northwest. We travelled for two short leagues, and halted near a stream of little importance. The country had a gloomy aspect; the hills were bare and treeless, and, consequently, without fire-wood. On the northern side of this stream there were some abandoned Indian huts; all who had the curiosity to look in to see these were covered with fleas.
On the road we came upon a very long slope over which we had to make a passage in order to descend to a small stream where it empties into the sea.To the Ranchería de las Pulgas, 2 leagues. From San Diego, 185 leagues.
Saturday, October 28 SP -- We proceeded for two leagues along the coast over a road similar to that of the preceding day's march, and in the same direction. We halted near another stream in the vicinity of the beach. The place was without fire-wood. Many natives came to our camp, but most of them were from the villages which we had left behind-people who wander over all this land, which is mostly uninhabited. To the northwest of the camp there was a high point of land which terminated in the sea, and in front of it were two large sharp-pointed rocks of very irregular shape.
We did not know what to think of the indications: we were already above 37° 20' north latitude, without being certain whether we were distant from or near Monterey. We experienced frequent rains; our provisions were running short; we had our men reduced to the simple daily ration of five tortillas made of flour and bran; we had neither grain nor meat (four packages that remained were reserved for the sick). It was resolved to kill the mules in order to provide rations for the soldiers, but they put off this expedient until a time of greater need, as, now and then, they would kill some ducks, and as all very willingly ate the pinole and seeds which they obtained from the natives, but only in small quantities.To our greater misfortune, our commander became sick, as well as the captain of the presidio. The indisposition and disorder of the bowels was very general and affected nearly all of us, and the author of this record did not entirely escape from it. But as there is no bad from which good does not come, it is also true that this was what principally brought about the relief and improvement of the sick. The change of season, the cessation of the northwest winds and the fogs, and the beginning of the land breezes, which blew after the rainy season, contributed to the same result. The swellings, and the contraction of the limbs, which made the sick like cripples, disappeared little by little. At the same time their pains left them, and all symptoms of scurvy disappeared: their mouths became clean, their gums solid, and their teeth firmly fixed.To the Llano de los Ansares, 2 leagues. From San Diego, 187 leagues.
Sunday, October 29 SP -- It rained all last night, with wind from the south. At daybreak it was also raining, and it was impossible for us to set out from this place, which, afterwards, for the reason which we shall mention, received the name of Llano de los Ansares.
Monday, October 30 SP -- The day dawned with indications of pleasant weather. The wind was cold from the north, and the sky clear. We broke camp, and, following the beach until we left the point of the rocks to the west, we passed over some hills, and crossed some canyons, in which there were deep galleys of water, which detained us because it was necessary to throw small bridges over them. We halted near the shore, along which the passage was entirely closed by a steep hill, at the foot of which ran a stream of good water. This stream flowed from a hollow formed by various hills; at the extreme end of this, close to the hills, we pitched our camp, which was thus protected to the north. To-day's march was one league. The place was afterwards known by the name of Rincón de las Almejas.
In the afternoon, the sergeant of the presidio was sent out to seek a means of egress for the following day's march.To the Rincón de las Almejas, 1 league. From San Diego, 188 leagues.
Tuesday, October 31 SP -- The hills which prevented our passage along the shore, although easy of access for the ascent, had, on the other side, a very difficult and rough descent. The pioneers went out in the morning with the sergeant to make a road over it, and, afterwards, at eleven o'clock, we followed him with the pack-animals.
From the summit we saw to the northwest a large bay formed by a point of land which extended a long distance into the sea, and about which many had disputed on the preceding day, as to whether or not it was an island; it was not possible at that time to see it as clearly as now on account of the mist that covered it. Farther out, about west-northwest from us, seven rocky, white islands could be seen; and, casting the eye back upon the bay, one could see farther to the north some perpendicular white cliffs. Looking to the northeast, one could see the mouth of an estuary which appeared to extend inland. In consideration of these indications we consulted the sailing-directions of the pilot Cabrera Bueno, and it seemed to us beyond all question that what we were looking upon was the port of San Francisco; and thus we were convinced that the port of Monterey had been left behind. The latitude of 37° and 33' or 35' -according to the reckoning of the engineer-in which we found ourselves, confirmed our opinion. And thus the point which appeared seawards, and which had seemed to many to be an island, must have been the Punta de los Reyes, although the above mentioned pilot places it in 38° 30'; that is, one degree farther to the north. The authority of this author, however, in the opinion of all intelligent people, and of those who were guided by them, was of little weight, for the test which has been made of his latitudes, shows that they err in being too large. And so, what is there to be wondered at if he places the Punta de los Reyes one degree farther north than it really is when he does the same with the Punta de la Concepción, which he places in 35° 30' when, from repeated observations, it is certain that it is in 34° 30'; and when, according to the same author, the port of San Diego is in 34°, when it is indisputable that its latitude (only) exceeds 32° and a half by some minutes?
We descended to the port, and pitched our camp at a short distance from the beach, near a stream of running water which sank into the ground and formed a marsh of considerable extent, reaching nearly to the sea. The country had plenty of pasture, and was surrounded by very high hills which formed a hollow, open only to the northwest of the bay. We travelled for one league.To the Bahía or Puerto de San Francisco, 1 league. From San Diego, 189 leagues.