As a result of the conference between Galvez and Father Junipero, it
was decided that their joint expedition should be sent out in two
portions--one by sea and one by land; the land portion being again
sub-divided into two, in imitation, Palou informs us, of the policy
of the patriarch Joseph, "so that if one came to misfortune, the other
might still be saved." It was arranged that four missionaries should go
into the ships, and one with the advance-detachment of the land-force,
the second part of which was to include the president himself. So far as
the work of the missionaries was concerned their immediate purpose was
to establish three settlements--one at San Diego, a second at Monterey,
and a third on a site to be selected, about midway between the two,
which was to be called San Buenaventura. The two divisions of the
land-force were under the leadership of Captain Fernando Rivera y
Moncada and Governor Portola respectively. The ships were to carry all
the heavier portions of the camp equipage, provisions, household goods,
vestments and sacred vessels; the land-parties were to take with them
herds and flocks from Loreto. The understanding was that whichever party
first reached San Diego was to wait there twenty days for the rest, and
in the event of their failure to arrive within that time, to push on to
Monterey.
The sea-detachment of the general expedition--the "Seraphic and
Apostolic Squadron," as Palou calls it, was composed of three ships--the
San Carlos, the San Antonio, and the San Joseph. A list, fortunately
preserved, gives all the persons on board the San Carlos, a vessel of
about 200 tons only, and the flagship of Don Vicente Vila, the commander
of the marine division. They were as follows:--the commander himself;
a lieutenant in charge of a company of soldiers; a missionary; the
captain, pilot and surgeon; twenty-five soldiers; the officers and crew
of the ship, twenty-five in all; the baker, the cook and two assistants;
and two blacksmiths: total, sixty-two souls. An inventory shows that the
vessel was provisioned for eight months.
The San Carlos left La Paz on the 9th of January; the San Antonio on the
15th of February; the San Joseph on the 16th of June. All the vessels
met with heavy storms, and the San Carlos, being driven sadly out of her
route, did not reach San Diego till twenty days after the San Antonio,
though dispatched some five weeks earlier. We shudder to read that of
her crew but one sailor and the cook were left alive; the rest, along
with many of the soldiers, having succumbed to the scurvy. The San
Antonio also lost eight of her crew from the same dreadful disease.
These little details serve better than any general description to give
us an idea of the horrible conditions of Spanish seamanship in the
middle of the eighteenth century. As for the San Joseph, she never
reached her destination at all, though where and how she met her fate
remains one of the dark mysteries of the ocean. Two small points in
connection with her loss are perhaps sufficiently curious to merit
notice. In the first place, she was the only one of the ships that had
no missionary on board; and secondly, she was called after the very
saint who had been named special patron of the entire undertaking.
The original plan, as we have seen, had been that Father Junipero should
accompany the governor in the second division of the land-expedition;
but this, when the day fixed for departure came, was found to be quite
impossible owing to the ulcerous sore on his leg, which had been much
aggravated by the exertions of his recent hurried journey from Loreto to
La Paz and back. Greatly chafing under the delay, he was none the less
obliged to postpone his start for several weeks. At length, on the 28th
of March, in company with two soldiers and a servant, he mounted his
mule and set out. The event showed that he had been guilty of undue
haste, for he suffered terribly on the rough way, and on reaching
San Xavier, whither he went to turn over the management of the Lower
California missions to Palou, who was then settled there, his condition
was such that his friend implored him to remain behind, and allow him
(Palou) to go forward in his stead. But of this Junipero would not hear,
for he regarded himself as specially chosen and called by God for the
work to which he stood, body and soul, committed. "Let us speak no more
of this," he said. "I have placed all my faith in God, through whose
goodness I hope to reach not only San Diego, to plant and fix there the
standard of the Holy Cross, but even as far as Monterey." And Palou,
seeing that Junipero was not to be turned aside, wisely began to talk of
other things.
After three days devoted to business connected with the missions of
the lower province, the indomitable father determined to continue his
journey, notwithstanding the fact that, still totally unable to move his
leg, he had to be lifted by two men into the saddle. We may imagine that
poor Palou found it hard enough to answer his friend's cheery farewells,
and watched him with sickness of heart as he rode slowly away. It seemed
little likely indeed that they would ever meet again on this side of the
grave. But Junipero's courage never gave out. Partly for rest and partly
for conference with those in charge, he lingered awhile at the missions
along the way; but, nevertheless, presently came up with Portola and his
detachment, with whom he proceeded to Villacata. Here during a temporary
halt, he founded a mission which was dedicated to San Fernando, King of
Castile and Leon. But the worst experiences of the journey were still
in store. For when the party was ready to move forward again towards San
Diego, which, as time was fast running on, the commander was anxious to
reach with the least possible delay, it was found that Junipero's leg
was in such an inflamed condition that he could neither stand, nor sit,
nor sleep. For a few leagues he persevered, without complaint to any
one, and then collapsed. Portola urged him to return at once to San
Fernando for the complete repose in which alone there seemed any chance
of recovery, but after his manner Junipero refused; nor, out of kindly
feeling for the tired native servants, would he ever hear of the litter
which the commander thereupon proposed to have constructed for his
transportation. The situation was apparently beyond relief, when, after
prayer to God, the padre called to him one of the muleteers. "Son," he
said--the conversation is reported in full by Palou, from whose memoir
of his friend it is here translated--"do you not know how to make a
remedy for the ulcer on my foot and leg?" And the muleteer replied:
"Father, how should I know of any remedy? Am I a surgeon? I am a
muledriver, and can only cure harness-wounds on animals." "Then, son."
rejoined Junipero, "consider that I am an animal, and that this ulcer is
a harness-wound... and prepare for me the same medicament as you would
make for a beast." Those who heard this request smiled. And the muleteer
obeyed; and mixing certain herbs with hot tallow, applied the compound
to the ulcerated leg, with the astonishing result that the sufferer
slept that night in absolute comfort, and was perfectly able the next
morning to undertake afresh the fatigues of the road.
Of the further incidents of the tedious journey it is needless to write.
It is enough to say that for forty-six days--from the 15th of May to
the 1st of July--the little party plodded on, following the track of
the advance-division of the land-expedition under Rivera y Moncada. With
what joy and gratitude they at last looked down upon the harbour of
San Diego, and realized that the first object of their efforts had now
indeed been achieved, may be readily imagined. Out in the bay lay the
San Carlos and the San Antonio, and on the shore were the tents of the
men who had preceded them, and of whose safety they were now assured;
and when, with volley after volley, they announced their arrival,
ships and camp replied in glad salute. And this responsive firing was
continued, says Palou, in his lively description of the scene, "until,
all having alighted, they were ready to testify their mutual love by
close embraces and affectionate rejoicing to see the expeditions thus
joined, and at their desired destination." Yet one cannot but surmise
that the delights of reunion were presently chilled when those who had
thus been spared to come together fell into talk over the companions who
had perished by the way. History has little to tell us of such details;
but the sympathetic reader will hardly fail to provide them for himself.
The condition of things which the governor and the president
found confronting them on their arrival was indeed the reverse of
satisfactory. Of the one hundred and thirty or so men comprising the
combined companies, many were seriously ill; some it was necessary to
dispatch at once with the San Antonio back to San Blas for additional
supplies and reinforcements; a further number had to be detailed for
the expedition to Monterey, which, in accordance with the explicit
instructions of the visitador general it was decided to send out
immediately. All this left the San Diego camp extremely short-handed,
but there was no help for it. To reach Monterey at all costs was
Portola's next duty; and on the 14th of July, with a small party which
included Fathers Crespi and Gomez, he commenced his northwest march.