179«. received from the ffiore, and the vefTels unmoored the next morning- it s
.Novembeior(je r tQ to fea . t,ut the w.in(J and tide proving, unfavorable ws
Saturday««. remaipe(i at anchor during the day... I therefore employed this interval in
noticing the following circumftances, which, occurred, after, our return
from Su Clara.
The average price o f the large cattle at this port on my arrival, I
underftood to be fix Spanilh dollars each; the Iheep, in proportion.
Having received as many o f thefe as- were wanted for the ufe of. both
velfels, with fome vegetables, poultry, &c. I preferred Sen'- Sal with
the amount of their value, as our fupply had been principally procured
from him. Much to. my furprize, he declined, accepting the money, in
payment; and at length acquainted me, that he*'- had- been hrictly enjoined
by Senr- Quadra, on no pretence whatever to- accept any pecuniary
recompence from m e ; as every thing of that nature would be
fettled by himfelf on our meeting at Monterrey. Thefe injun&ions from
Senr- Quadra removed my difficulties, as I ffiould ill have known hpw
to have requited ffich generality, or to have accepted fuch obligations,
from perfons who, in every refpect excepting that of food, had the
appearance o f poverty, and of being much prefle<|, fa r the moll common
conveniences, o f life-
My late excurhon into the country had convinced me, that although-
its produftions, in its prefent ftate, afforded the inhabitants an abundant
fupply of every effential requifue for human fubfiflenee, yet the-
„ people were nearly deftitute o f thofe articles- which alone can- render
the effentials of life capable of being reliffied or enjoyed. On this oc-
cafion I experienced, no finall gratification, in being.able to relieve their
wants by the diftribution of a few necefiary articles and- implements,
culinary and table utenfils, fome bar iron, with a few ornaments for
the decoration of their churches ; to which I added one hog-ffiead o f wine,
and another o f rum; and configned the whole to the care of Sen" Sal;
with a requeft that an equal diffribution ffiould be made between the
Prefidio and the miffions o f St. Francifco and S“ Clara. This was.
punctually attended to, and I had the fatisfaCtion of findings the feveral
articles were received as very acceptable prefents.
The*
The inclemency of the weather, and the fhort ftay I purpofed to ^owmber.
make on our arrival in this port, prevented my ere&ing the obferva- v— -y-— '
tory on fhore; fufficient obfervations were however procured for afeer-
taining: its latitude to be 37° 48' 30", and its longitude 237° 52'30". The
variation of the compafs, by fix fets of azimuths, varying from 12°2/
to 13*32', gave the mean o f 12°48/ eaftwardly.
The morning o f the 25th brought a frefh breeze againft us from Sunday 25.
the N . w . ; but being prepared to depart, and having a ftrong ebb tide
in our favor, we turned out o f the port againft a very difagreeable irregular
fea,: produced by the oppofing elements. After entering the
channel leading out, foundings could not be gained with the hand-line
until we were about two miles to the fouth-weftward of the s . e . point
o f entrance, when we fuddenly arrived in 10, 7, and 6 fathoms water*
In this fituation we were about 2 miles to the fouth of our former
track, when going into the port; where, in 5 fathoms water, the fame difagreeable
agitation o f the fea was experienced: hence I concluded that it
was occafioned by a bank, or bar, at the diftance of near four miles from
the port, extending right acrofs its entrance. This bar we foon paffed
oyer, and again loft foundings with the hand-line. A t noon our obfer-
ved latitude was '36°.53'; the outer points o f the entrance into the port
of St. Francifco bore iby compafs N. 10 e . and n . 28 e .; and the extremes
of the coaft in fight, from n .w . to s. 28 e . ; along which our
courfewas dire&ed foutherly at a little diftance from the fhore, towards
Monterrey.
Thus we quitted St. Francifco, highly indebted to our bofpitable reception,
and the excellent refrefhments, which in a few days had intirely
eradicated every apparent fymptom o f the feurvy.
• My engagements in the country on my firft arrival, and my hafte to
depart from St. Francifco on the arrival of the Chatham, prevented me
from obtaining any precife information refpefting the p o r t; every thing,
however, that we were able to notice tended to confirm the original
opinion, that it was as fine a port as the world affords; failing only in
the convenience of obtaining wood and water. It is however probable,