Baja California to San Diego Portolá expedition

1 baja california san diego

1.1 2 groups sea
1.2 2 groups land
1.3 arrival in san diego

baja california san diego

the first leg of expedition consisted of 5 groups, departing baja california heading north san diego: 3 groups traveled sea, while 2 other groups traveled land in mule trains. 3 galleons, hastily built in san blas, set sail san diego in 1769: san carlos, captained vicente vila, native of andalusia (whose diary survives); san antonio, captained juan pérez, native of palma de majorca; , san josé. 3 ships, crossing gulf of california san blas, arrived leaking on east of coast of baja, requiring repairs there.

two groups sea

on shore of la paz on january 9, 1769, friar junípero serra blessed flagship san carlos , chaplain, friar fernando parrón. josé de gálvez, addressing men waiting board, declared final destination monterey, mission plant holy cross among indians. friar parrón boarded san carlos along captain vicente vila, lieutenant of royal navy — followed lieutenant pedro fages 25 catalan volunteers; cartographer miguel costansó, made maps , drawings describe journey; surgeon pedro prat; , crew of 23 sailors, plus 2 blacksmiths, 2 boys, 4 cooks, , mate jorge estorace — 62 in all. weighing anchor, san carlos headed south down gulf of california, round cabo san lucas , head north along pacific coast.

on february 15, gálvez dispatched san antonio, captained juan pérez, cabo san lucas; franciscan friars juan vizcaíno , francisco gómez served chaplains. sailors plus cooks, carpenters , blacksmiths, san antonio carried total of around 30 men. these ships left ahead of land groups. san carlos , san antonio followed additional supply ship, san josé. san josé — named after patron saint of portolá expedition, saint joseph — never reached san diego , presumed lost @ sea.

two groups land

captain fernando rivera, moving north through baja california, gathered horses , mules fragile chain of catholic missions supply overland expedition. josé de gálvez had ordered rivera requisition horses , mules missions without endangering survival , give friars receipts number of animals taken; missions later restocked animals brought on mexican mainland. friar juan crespí, selected chaplain rivera party , diarist franciscan missionaries, traveled 24 days mission la purísima, 400 miles (640 km) north velicatá (near current town of ramona), northern frontier of spanish settlement in baja california. there crespí met rivera party, set out velicatá on march 24. mule , horse train, tended 3 muleteers, carried 25 leather-jacket soldiers , 42 baja california christian indians (all men).

portolá himself led second group, set out loreto on march 9. junípero serra, assigned josé de gálvez head franciscan missionary team alta california, joined portolá party chaplain , diarist. 55-year-old serra suffered chronic infection of left foot , leg, portolá believed had become cancerous. tried dissuade serra joining expedition. serra refused withdraw: told portolá go ahead, saying follow , meet portolá on frontier. meanwhile, serra assigned friar miguel de la campa mission san ignacio join portolá party. party, driving supply train , food animals, included 25 leather-jacket soldiers under sergeant josé francisco ortega; muleteers; artisans; , 44 christian indians baja california, acting servants , interpreters communicate indians along way. group traveled slower rivera party. serra, trekking of way on broken-down mule, caught portolá, friar de la campa , other members of party on may 5, south of velicatá. following trail blazed rivera party, , less burdened livestock, portolá party moved faster. so, had arduous trek on deserts , through ravines.

arrival in san diego

the ships arrived in san diego first: san antonio on april 11 , san carlos on april 29, 1769. many crew members on both ships had fallen ill — scurvy — during voyages. on may 1, lieutenant pedro fages, engineer miguel costansó, , mate jorge estorace came ashore anchorage in san diego bay, along 25 soldiers , sailors still healthy enough work. searching source of fresh water , helped indians encountered, found suitable river 9 miles northeast. moving ships close possible, set camp on beach, surrounding earthen parapet 2 cannons mounted. ships sails , awnings made 2 large hospital tents, tents officers , friars. moved sick men shore , settled them camp. number of men engaged in arduous labors diminished daily due illness. medicines , stored food had been consumed on long voyages. doctor pedro prat — himself weakened scurvy — gathered medicinal herbs in fields , desperately tried cure ill men. heat scorched them day, cold stung them night. 2 or 3 men died every day, until combined sea expedition — had started on 90 men — had shrunk 8 soldiers , 8 sailors.

captain rivera s column arrived on may 14, having trekked 300 miles (480 km) in 50 days velicatá without losing single man or having sick 1 — although food rations drastically reduced. rivera s men moved camp inland near san diego river, building new camp on hill known old town. erected stockade , mounted cannon on land later became presidio of san diego.

the commanding officers prepared dispatch san antonio mexico, report viceroy de croix , visitador gálvez expedition. on july 1, ship sail, portolá/serra party arrived in san diego in health, 163 mules loaded supplies. desiring push sea expedition north monterey — gálvez had instructed — portolá offered captain vicente vila of san carlos 16 of own men work ship on voyage monterey. vila had lost ship s officers, boatswain, coxswain of launch , storekeeper — , none of men offered portolá had experience sailors. vila refused sail under such conditions. portolá decided place available sailors aboard san antonio, set out san blas on july 9, small crew. carrying important letters serra, portolá , others, san antonio reached san blas in 3 weeks. on voyage, several more sailors died.

after 4 groups had reunited in san diego, friars juan vizcaíno , fernando parrón stayed there junípero serra head new mission san diego. friars juan crespí , francisco gómez continued north portolá. serra s group aimed establish catholic missions convert natives of alta california christianity. crespí 1 traveled land expedition throughout travels, became official diarist missionaries (portolá , costansó kept diaries). franciscans founded twenty-one missions @ or near pacific coast of state of california, in addition 1 mission in baja california. string of california missions began @ san diego.