Diary of Miguel Costansó
Portola Expedition, 1769-1770
Friday, December 1 SP -- Ten scouts were sent out this morning. The captain of the presidio of the Californias, Don Fernando de Rivera, himself went with them, with six native pioneers. They carried a supply of tortillas to last for some days. Although a mule was killed to provide rations for the men, few ate of its meat except some European soldiers and the friendly Indians.
Saturday, December 2 SP -- We felt great apprehension about two mulatto muleteers who, having requested permission to go out hunting, had been absent from the camp for three days, and who had not yet appeared. We suspected that they had suffered some injury from the natives, or that they had deserted.
Sunday, December 3 SP -- The weather remained clear while the land wind continued, but in the afternoon of this day the wind changed to the south, bringing clouds and rain.
Monday, December 4 SP -- The scouts arrived during the night tired out with the ruggedness of the mountain range, over which they had to travel on foot the greater part of the way, as far as their exploration took them. What they obtained from this inspection was to assure themselves that this mountain range was that of Santa Lucía-judging from the indications that they found coinciding with those mentioned in the sailing-directions of the pilot Cabrera Bueno. These signs are a high white rock jutting out somewhat from the coast-it can be seen for many leagues out to sea-and a headland in the shape of a trumpet which looks like a rocky islet, and is about six leagues from the Punta de Pinos.
They reported that two of the six California Indians who had accompanied them had deserted.
Tuesday, December 5 SP -- We did not know what to think of the situation. A port so famous as that of Monterey, so celebrated, and so talked of in its time, by energetic, skillful, and intelligent men, expert sailors who came expressly to reconnoiter these coasts by order of the monarch who at that time governed the Spains-is it possible to say that it has not been found after the most careful and earnest efforts, carried out at the cost of much toil and fatigue? Or, is it admissible to think that it has been filled up, or destroyed in the course of time?
The accounts of General Sebastián Vizcaíno, and his contemporary historians, give the port of Monterey as being in 37° north latitude. We not only saw no signs of it, but not even the possibility that such a port had ever existed in that altitude, for there the coast is bordered by a range of very high hills terminating in the ocean, as the navigators may see.
In truth, it would not be strange if we found the port of Monterey at a greater or less latitude than that given in the old accounts (a defect or error that we have noted at nearly all of the places along the coast from the Isla de Cerros to the port of San Francisco, and which should be ascribed to the in adequacy of the instruments used by the navigators of that time in observing the horizontal altitude of the stars. The forestaff was the commonest, and the one generally used by the pilots at sea; it is a crude instrument, difficult to handle, and can only be used to take altitudes with the back to the star, as, facing it, the observation is still more inaccurate and of no practical use. On some coasts, however, which do not give an opportunity for observing the northern horizon (as is the case on these coasts of which we speak), the altitude of the sun, or other heavenly body, whose declination is less than the latitude of the place in which the observer is, can be taken in no other way than by facing it. Therefore, such an observation made with the forestaff must necessarily lead to error, leaving aside the mistakes that may arise from the use of imperfect tables of declination-and who doubts that in these later days we have calculated and ascertained the declinations and right ascensions of the stars with greater precision and exactness than two centuries ago, as much because of the astronomical progress made during this space of time as on account of the better construction and precision of modern instruments?)
Now, then, we will say positively that the port of Monterey does not exist in the latitude (37() indicated in the old sailing-directions; nor between 37° as far north as 37° 44', in which, as we believe, lies the Punta de los Reyes. It happened that we found the port of San Francisco first, according to the signs, which, without the slightest variation (as far as we were able to see and judge) agreed with those given by the pilot Cabrera Bueno. And as this port of San Francisco, according to the pilot mentioned, and the others who have examined these coasts, lies to the north of Monterey, what hopes remain now that this port may be found farther north? Neither is this port south of the parallel of 37°, either in the Sierra de Santa Lucía, or out of it; for, having examined the whole coast, step by step, we have not the least fear that it may have escaped our diligence and search.
We should say, moreover, that on the entire journey we have not seen lands more completely uninhabited than those situated in the latitude above mentioned, especially at the place where one emerges from the Sierra de Santa Lucía, nor have we seen a rougher or more savage people than its inhabitants. Where, then, is its numerous population upon which the old (voyagers) laid so much stress, and what of the extreme docility of its inhabitants?
On the return (of the party) from the examination of the mountain range, our commander laid before his officers the unhappy plight in which we were placed-without provisions other than sixteen sacks of flour, without hope of finding the port and consequently of finding the ship which might aid us in maintaining ourselves in the country-and called them together in council.
Wednesday, December 6 SP -- The council was to be held to-day, but it was postponed until to-morrow in order to give everyone more opportunity and time to consider such an important matter.
Thursday, December 7 SP -- There were some at the meeting who thought it best to remain at the Punta de Pinos until the provisions on hand should be entirely consumed, and finally to start upon the return march when these provisions were exhausted, submitting to the necessity of eating mule's meat for the rest of the journey. All these things, however, having been considered-in view of the few provisions that remained, the excessive cold, and, above all, the snow that was beginning to cover the mountain range-our commander himself resolved upon the return, believing that if the passage over the mountains became impossible we should all perish.
During the afternoon a violent south wind sprang up which caused a great tempest on the sea, and treated us very badly on land.
Friday, December 8 SP -- The raw and tempestuous weather continued without permitting us to move from the place.
Saturday, December 9 SP -- The storm still continued, and the weather did not clear up until night.
Sunday, December 10 SP -- Before leaving this bay we erected a cross upon the beach with an inscription cut on the wood which said: "Dig! At the foot thou wilt find a writing." This writing is hereinafter transcribed word for word.
"The land-expedition which set out from San Diego on July14, 1769, under the command of the governor of California, Don Gaspar de Portolá, entered the Canal de Santa Bárbara on August 9; it passed the Punta de la Concepción on the 27th of the same month; and reached the foot of the Sierra de Santa Lucía on September 13; it entered this mountain range on the 17th of the same month; it completed the passage of the mountain range, going completely round it, on October 1; and on the same day came in sight of the Punta de Pinos. On the 7th of the same month, having already examined the Punta de Pinos, and the bays to the north and south of it, without finding any indications of the port of Monterey, it decided to go forward in search of the port. On October 30 the expedition came in sight of the Punta de los Reyes, and the seven Farallones of the port of San Francisco. The expedition endeavored to reach the Punta de los Reyes, but some immense estuaries, which extend inland an extraordinary distance, and which forced it to make a very wide circuit, and other difficulties (the greatest being the lack of provisions) made it necessary for the expedition to turn back, believing that the port of Monterey might possibly be found within the Sierra de Santa Lucía, and fearing that the port might have been passed without having been seen. The expedition turned back from the farthest point of the Estero de San Francisco on November 11; it passed the Punta de Año Nuevo on the 19th of the same month; and arrived again at this Punta and Ensenada de Pinos on the 27th of the same month. From that day to the present-December 9-the expedition was engaged in searching within the mountains for the port of Monterey, skirting the side towards the sea, in spite of its ruggedness-but in vain. Finally, now disappointed and despairing of finding the port, after so many endeavors, labors, and hardships, and without other provisions than fourteen sacks of flour, the expedition sets out to-day from this bay for San Diego. Pray thou Almighty God to guide it, and, sailor, may his Divine Providence take thee to a port of safety.
"At this Ensenada de Pinos, on the 9th day of December, 1769.
"Note: The engineer, Don Miguel Costansó, observed the latitude of various places along the coast, of which the following are the most important:
| San Diego: at the camp on shore occupied by the expedition | 32° 42' |
| The eastermost native town on the Canal de Santa Bárbara | 34° 13' |
| La Punta de la Concepción | 34° 30' |
| The beginning of the Sierra de Santa Lucía towards the south | 35° 45' |
| Its end at this bay of the Punta de Pinos | 36°36' |
| La Punta de Año Nuevo, which is low and composed of reefs | 37° 04' |
| Inland near the port of San Francisco, having the Farallones west by north | 37° 35' |
| I estimate the Punta de los Reyes, which stood to the west-north-west from the same place, as | 37° 44' |
"The commanders of the packets-whether the San Joseph or El Prínciple-are requested, that if within a few days after the date of the writing they should land on this shore, and inform themselves of its contents, and of the unhappy circumstances of the expedition, they should sail close to the shore, and follow it to San Diego, so that if the expedition should have the good fortune to catch sight of one of the two vessels, and should be able, by means of signals made by flags or gunshots, to indicate the place where the expedition may be, it might aid them with provisions, if that were possible.
"May God be glorified."
We set out on the march, the weather being clear and cold. We proceeded for a league and a half, and pitched our camp on the other side of the Punta de Pinos. We travelled for a league and a half.To El Pinar, 1 1/2 leagues. From the Ensenada de Pinos, 1 1/2 leagues.
Monday, December 11 SP -- We took the road to the northeast over the level country, as far as the river, which we forded. We pitched our camp somewhat above the ford, at the camping-place which we had occupied on September 30. Many geese were killed, with which we all satisfied our needs.
The day's march was four leagues.To the Río Carmelo, 4 leagues. From the Ensenada de Pinos, 5 1/2 leagues.
Tuesday, December 12 SP -- We broke camp and followed the canyon up the river. After a march of three leagues and a half we halted at the same place we occupied on September 29, called Los Cazadores.To Los Cazadores, 3 1/2 leagues. From the Ensenada de Pinos, 9 leagues.
Wednesday, December 13 SP -- From Los Cazadores we made a day's march to the Real Blanco, a distance of three and a half leagues from that place. Many geese were killed, and we saw large herds of antelopes.To the Real Blanco, 3 leagues. From the Ensenada de Pinos, 12 leagues.
Thursday, December 14 SP -- We proceeded for four leagues as far as the Real del Alamo. Some natives were seen, and they offered us some atole made of acorns.To the Real del Alamo, 4 leagues. From the Ensenada de Pinos, 16 leagues.
Friday, December 15 SP -- From the (Real del) Alamo we passed to the Real del Chocolate, a distance of four leagues from the former place.To the Real del Chocolate, 4 leagues. From the Ensenada de Pinos, 20 leagues.
Saturday, December 16 SP -- We left the canyon of the river, entering now the Sierra de Santa Lucía through another canyon, open from the northeast to the southwest. In this was situated the Ranchería del (Palo) Caído, which we found deserted. The day's march was four leagues.
We halted near a very small watering-place, in which the animals could not drink.To the (Ranehería del) Palo Caído, 4 leagues. From the Ensenada de Pinos, 24 leagues.
Sunday, December 17 SP -- We travelled in the same direction, towards the southwest. On leaving the canyon which we had been following, we crossed another larger one, containing a stream of running water. We pitched our camp in the mountain range by the side of the Río de las Truchas, in the same place as on September 21.
It was cruelly during the night and a heavy frost fell.To the Río de las Truchas, 2 leagues. From the Ensenada de Pinos, 26 leagues.
Monday, December 18 SP -- This day's march was only one league, as far as the Real Angosto de los Piñones. The streams from the mountain range were already running as a result of the snow that had fallen during the early part of the month, so that we found water in abundance at this place.To the Real de los Piñones, 1 league. From the Ensenada de Pinos, 27 leagues.
Tuesday, December 19 SP -- This day's march was difficult because of the greater ruggedness of the mountain range. It was also the stretch that had caused us the hardest work on our outward journey, because the greater part of the road had to be opened up by dint of pickaxe and crowbar. At this place we found the natives who had treated us so well the last time we passed, and they did no less on this occasion.To the Hoya de Santa Lucía, 2 leagues. From the Ensenada de Pinos, 29 leagues.
Wednesday, December 20 SP -- The animals had become so worn out and exhausted that it was necessary to give them a rest. We now had but a very small quantity of provisions remaining and, since, for this reason, there had been some misconduct among the soldiers-different ones having had the audacity to steal the flour from the sacks-the commander decided to divide among them what remained, that each one should maintain himself from his own share. This was done, and all had an equal portion and were content. Each of the missionary fathers and the officers received a small quantity of biscuits and chocolate, with a ham to each for the remainder of the journey.
Thursday, December 21 SP -- In the morning we broke camp, and, following the road we had opened, we finally emerged from the mountain range. We descended to the beach which we followed for a distance of a league and a half. We halted near an Indian village, of which the inhabitants, advised of our arrival by the mountaineers, came out to welcome us. These Indians gave us to understand, by means of signs, that they had kept one of the deserters in their village where he had been resting for three days. We went there immediately and he did what he could to save us a part of the distance, for, as soon as he caught sight of us he came out to meet us; his feet were swollen, and he walked with difficulty.
Asked what his motive was for deserting, he replied that his intention had never been to desert, but that he had gone out shooting geese along the coast, and his companion had proposed to him that they should follow the mountain range along the coast in order to be the first to discover the port of Monterey, and so gain the reward upon returning to the camp with the news that they had walked all that day and the following one, as it appeared to them that upon discovering a point they would find the port behind it; that, having absented themselves for two days from the camp without permission, they felt sure that they would not be given any more severe punishment because of their being absent four or five days more without returning; and that if they should have the good fortune to discover the port, the offense would be excused, and, furthermore, they would receive the reward. And so they determined to continue their journey until they saw the end of the mountain range, which, with inexpressible toil and labor they succeeded in passing, at times even rolling down a hillside.
Asked concerning his companion and the two Californian Indians who had also deserted, he replied that his companion on the trip was in a worse condition than himself, and that he had persuaded the Californian Indians to remain with him among some fishermen from the mountains, who lived together in a village at the beginning of the mountain range, until such time as he might be able to use his feet to continue the return to San Diego, where the speaker was also bound, not having the courage to cross the mountains again in search of us, both from fear of the punishment and from having a yet greater fear of the ruggedness of the mountain range.
We travelled for three leagues on this day's march.To the Ranchería de Arriero, 3 leagues. From the Ensenada de Pinos, 32 leagues.
Friday, December 22 SP -- The day broke very cloudy, for which reason it was not possible to continue the march.
Saturday, December 23 SP -- We broke camp in the morning, although it was threatening rain, but we had the good fortune not to have rain until we arrived at the place known as the Arroyo del Laurel; this name was given it because at this place we had seen the first of these trees.
On this occasion we found, by the side of the stream, a small Indian village, the inhabitants of which gave us some of their pinoles and seeds. We pitched our camp on a low hill near this watering-place. It rained very heavily during the afternoon and night. We travelled for three leagues over a more direct road than that we had followed in coming.To the Arroyo del Laurel, 3 leagues. From the Ensenada de Pinos, 35 leagues.
Sunday, December 24 SP -- From the Arroyo del Laurel we went to the Real del Osito, which we had occupied on September 10, and which is three leagues from the former place. A passage, which on our outward journey we had opened over a cliff along the shore, had been washed out by the water, leaving it impassable. It was necessary for us to seek another passage, through a canyon covered with thickets, with our machetes in our hands.To the Real del Osito, 3 leagues. From the Ensenada de Pinos, 39 leagues.
Monday, December 25 SP -- Before we set out from the Real de los Pinos more than two hundred natives of both sexes came to the camp. Many of them brought trays of pinole and some fish, with which we supplied ourselves, giving them glass beads in return, which have already become highly valued in these parts.To-day's march was three leagues and a half. We halted a little to the south of the Real del Estero, near a small village of Indian fishermen, from whom we bought a considerable quantity of fish, which somewhat relieved the people. In a short time a large number of natives came to the camp with trays of pinole and atole.To the Ranchería de los Indios Pescadores, 31 leagues. From the Ensenada de Pinos, 41 1/2 leagues.
Tuesday, December 26 SP -- From the Ranchería de los Pescadores we passed on to the Cañada de los Osos and occupied the same place as on September 8. It was raining during the whole march, and we found the road very difficult. We travelled for four leagues.To the Cañada de los Osos, 4 leagues. From the Ensenada de Pinos, 45 1/2 leagues.
Wednesday, December 27 SP -- We were very desirous of arriving at this canyon, having the intention of killing some bears, thinking that we would find as many as on the previous occasion. Preparations were made for the hunt very early in the morning; the soldiers took horses and led them by the bridle in order that they might saddle and mount them when necessary. On beginning the march, however, a very heavy rain set in and lasted, without stopping, all day and the following night.
The animals were already loaded, and, as we were without provisions, it was not a time to lose a day's march. We therefore continued our march, ascending the canyon for a distance of three leagues until we arrived at a small stream, and on its bank we pitched our camp. There was plenty of fire-wood and pasture.To the Arroyo Corto, 3 leagues. From the Ensenada de Pinos, 48 1/2 leagues.
Thursday, December 28 SP -- As the men had been wet through, and kept awake, they rested at this place in order that they might fully dry their clothes.
Friday, December 29 SP -- If, from the Cañada de los Osos, we had attempted to follow the same road as on our outward journey, there would have been not a few difficulties to overcome in traversing a spur of the range that extends into the sea. We found, however, that without making a circuit-even shortening the distance we could avoid the mountain range by ascending the canyon, and that we would come out at the Plan de los Berros, or Ranchería del Buchon. We succeeded in doing this without any difficulty, the only bad passage that presented itself being that of a small stream, covered with rushes, which emptied itself between some low hills, forming a marsh of considerable extent; over this, however, we found a passage. The day's march was three leagues.
As soon as the cacique Buchon knew of our arrival he came to visit us at the camp, bringing an abundance of pinole, atole, and very good tamales, which appeared to have been made of corn, and which, on account of our hunger, we found delicious. In return, we gave him some trinkets and glass beads, which he greatly valued, and sent him away.To the Ranchería del Buchon, 3 leagues. From the Ensenada de Pinos, 51 leagues.
Saturday, December 30 SP -- Before setting out from this place we received another visit from the cacique Buchon, who, without doubt knowing our necessity, brought a second present, larger and more abundant than that of yesterday. This was divided among the men, and from it each one drew a good portion.To-day's march, which we shortened by following the road along the beach, was two leagues and a half to the Laguna del Megano. We encountered no other difficulty than an estuary, the ford of which the Indians pointed out to us; we thus escaped the unavoidable circuits of the road inland, which is a labyrinth of ponds and estuaries.To the Laguna del Megano, 2 1/2 leagues. From the Ensenada de Pinos, 53 1/2 leagues.
Sunday, December 31 SP -- In the morning, some of the natives came to the camp bringing presents of pinole, atole, and tamales, which they sold to us in exchange for glass beads. We afterwards took the road to the Laguna Larga, a distance of three leagues.
The natives of the surrounding villages came to the camp bringing presents like those we received at the Laguna Larga.To the Laguna Larga, 3 leagues. From the Ensenada de Pinos, 56 1/2 leagues.