Diary of Captain Gaspar de Portolá

Portola Expedition, 1769-1770

7/1/1769 -- The 1st of July, we travelled for five hours in sight of the July port. This day, we arrived at the camp at San Diego, where we found Captain Fernando de Rivera and his men and, in the port, [we found] anchored the San Carlos and the packet El Principe [or San Antonio.] The greater number of the land-volunteers were sick; of the naval force there remained only a few sailors, and in particular on the San Carlos nearly all the men had died. This predicament left them undecided [what to do]. Here we remained until the 14th day of the month, both to unload the effects belonging to the missions and to make other arrangements to carry out our march. Seeing that there was already falling . . . to march as soon as possible. And, because Don Pedro Pratt advised further that the best remedy would be a change of climate, I took with me six volunteers with their lieutenant, Don Pedro Fages, and the engineer, Don Miguel Costansó, who also were sick. We proceeded for three hours. Much pasture, but no water for man or beast.

7/15/1769 -- The 15th, we proceeded for five hours; a good road. We halted in a gully where there was sufficient pasture and water.

7/16/1769 -- The 16th, we proceeded for four hours on a good road. On this day's march we came upon two Indian villages of about forty inhabitants. We halted in a canyon where there was much pasture, but it was necessary to dig a water-hole.

7/17/1769 -- The 17th, we proceeded for three hours on a good road; we came upon a village without inhabitants. We halted in a gully where there was sufficient water and pasture.

7/18/1769 -- The 18th, we proceeded for three hours, the greater part of the way through a pleasant country, and halted in a most inviting valley where there was very much pasture and water. Here we rested for one day; over two hundred natives came [to our camp].

7/20/1769 -- The 20th, we proceeded for three hours, the entire way over hillocks and through a pleasant country. We halted in a canyon where there was much pasture and water. Here there came [to our camp the inhabitants of] a village . . . natives; we made presents of glass beads to all the women and children.

7/21/1769 -- The 21st, we travelled for two hours over ranging hillocks, and halted in a canyon where there was much pasture and water. Here there came [to our camp] three natives with five women.

7/22/1769 -- The 22nd, we proceeded for three hours and a half, the entire way through a pleasant country of ranging hillocks. We halted in a gully where there was much pasture and a pool of water. Here there was a village of about twenty natives in which Father Crespí and Father Gomez baptized two dying children.

7/23/1769 -- The 23rd, we proceeded for four hours. Much pasture and water, and many trees.

7/24/1769 -- The 24th, we proceeded for about three hours and a half. We halted in a gully which had much water, pasture, and many trees, where we came upon an Indian village of about fifty persons; they made us a present of much grain and we made them a suitable return. We rested for one day.

7/26/1769 -- The 26th, we proceeded for three hours on a good road. Scant pasture; no water for the animals, though enough for the men.

7/27/1769 -- The 27th, we proceeded for three hours on a good road. Much pasture and water.

7/28/1769 -- The 28th, we proceeded for two hours on a good road and we halted by a stream about eight yards wide and about sixty inches deep which flowed with great rapidity. Here, at twelve o'clock, we experienced an earthquake of such violence . . . supplicating Mary Most Holy. It lasted about half as long as an Ave Maria and, about ten minutes later, it was repeated though not so violently. Much pasture and water. Here there was a very large Indian village of about seventy inhabitants, to all appearances very docile.

7/29/1769 -- The 29th, we proceeded for three hours on a good road. Much pasture, but water sufficient only for the men. Here there was an Indian village of about fifty inhabitants.

7/30/1769 -- The 30th, we proceeded for four hours on a good road, with the exception of two very steep hills. We halted in a very large valley where there was much pasture and water. Here we had to construct a bridge to cross the gully. I consider this a good place for a mission.

7/31/1769 -- The 31st, we proceeded for four hours; near the camp we found much water with a great deal of pasture which had grown [so tall] that the animals had to jump in order to get through it.

-- Here we rested [for one day]. We experienced six or seven severe earthquakes. In this valley we discovered, on the south side between two mountains, a spring that flowed like a river, giving evidence of deep soil.