Diary of Captain Gaspar de Portolá

Portola Expedition, 1769-1770

5/11/1769 -- The 11th day of May, [1769,] I set out from Santa María, the last mission to the north, escorted by four soldiers, in company with Father Junípero Serra, president of the missions, and Father Miguel Campa. This day we proceeded for about four hours with very little water for the animals and without any pasture, which obliged us to go on farther in the afternoon to find some. There was, however, no water.

5/12/1769 -- The 12th, we proceeded over a good road for five hours and halted at the place called La Poza de Agua Dulce. No pasture.

5/13/1769 -- The 13th, we proceeded for about four hours, [by which] I denote leagues, without water or pasture. This day I went ahead with the reverend fathers to Velicatá; we proceeded for about four hours [longer]. The day following, a stop was made to establish Father Campa in Velicatá as head of the new mission. He had left the Mission of Santa María by order of the most illustrious Don Joseph de Galvez.

5/15/1769 -- The 15th, we set out from the mission with Father Junípero Serra and proceeded for five hours on a good road. Much pasture without water.

5/16/1769 -- The 16th, we proceeded for about five hours on a rather poor road and halted at San Juan de Dios, a gully with sufficient pasture and water. In this place we remained for four days to arrange our march, having overtaken the sergeant [Ortega] with six more men, which made up the entire force of ten men.

5/21/1769 -- The 21st, we proceeded for about three hours and a half, the whole time along the slope of a large mountain, having on the right a gully with pasture and water.

5/22/1769 -- The 22nd, we proceeded for three hours and halted at a pool in this gully.

5/23/1769 -- The 23rd, we proceeded for about five hours, four of them entirely through mountainous country and the remainder over a level upland; here we had . . .

5/24/1769 -- The 24th, we proceeded for about four hours, half of the time along a very sandy gully and the remainder over a very difficult hilly country. No pasture and no water for the animals, though there was some for the men a league and a half from the [stopping] place.

5/25/1769 -- The 25th, we proceeded for four hours, the greater part of the way being a long ascent and the remainder the descent of a range; we halted in a gully, well-wooded with cottonwoods and mesquits. Much water and pasture. Here we rested [for one day]. Three natives were seen and friendly Indians were sent to bring them in; they succeeded in getting one who was treated as well as possible, and it was understood from him by signs that his chief had sent him to watch us and that, uniting with other villages, they were going to lie in ambush to kill the father [Serra] and company.

5/27/1769 -- The 27th, we proceeded for about five hours on a good road. We halted at La Cieneguilla, the name given by the Jesuit Father Linc. From this point another route was taken and we halted in a little gully. Although it was dry, a water-hole was dug without difficulty.

5/28/1769 -- The 28th, we proceeded for four hours and a half. As natives were seen near the camp, friendly Indians were sent out and brought back ten with their chief; these were treated as well as possible and then dismissed. When we were about to march, thirty-two natives with their chiefs came up with many gestures and shouts. The sergeant [Ortega] was ordered to go in advance with the interpreter to see what they wanted so that we might move onward. Although we assured them that we were friends, they remained and [it was evident] that if we advanced they would fight. Finally, tired of mere arguments that were to no purpose, I ordered the sergeant and two soldiers to fire two shots in the air without injuring them, which was sufficient to make them disperse. During the day, we came upon a village of twelve men with their chief, who offered to accompany us as friends and show us the watering-place; we entertained them as well as we were able and they returned the favor with agaves and offered to accompany us the next day, which they did.

5/29/1769 -- The 29th, we proceeded for about four hours over very high hills; we halted in a gully having much water and pasture and a large grove of cottonwoods. We passed a very bad night because, all night long, the animals were stampeded. On this account, we rested the following day. As it seemed a good site for a mission we called it San Fernando, this being his day. Here we came to a village of about twenty-five natives.

5/31/1769 -- The 31st, we proceeded for four hours, three of them over hills and rising ground and the remainder along a gully which had little water and many trees and in which there was a village of twenty-five natives.