Oftober l?l® jurifdi£lipn of the province, with fentiments apparently not the
' -----> molt favorable towards foreign vifitors.
In fupport of this opinion, and injuftice to our worthy friend Senr-
Sal, it is necelfary to remark, that it evidently appeared to be with the
utmoft repugnance that he was compelled to deliver, in compliance with
“the orders o f his fenior officer, thefe injunctions. In reply to which,
I ftated briefly to Senr- Sal, that I had put into port St. Francifco to
recruit our wood and water, to procure fuch refrefhments as the country
might afford, and to wait the arrival o f our confort the Chatham;
with which veffel this port had been appointed our next rendezvous
previous to our parting company. That as foon as we Ihould.have obtained
our necelfary fupplies, which would not occupy more than two
or three days, we ffiould depart; and that he might be allured the re-
Itriftions contained in his other letter, refpefling our communication
with the Ihore, Ihould be duly obferved.
This port, however, was the rendezvous o f the Chatham; and as I
had not been denied the privilege o f procuring fome frelh beef, I determined
to remain until lhe Ihould arrive. This took place however much
earlier than I could have expefted from the nature of the fervice on
which lhe had been difpatched, as we had the pleafure o f feeing her at
Monday 2i. St. Francifco the next day.
Our water had been procured, when we were here before, juft behind
the beach, in a low fpace covered with fpiry grafs, which was.at that time
flooded by the rain; this being now quite dry, we were obliged to .refort
to a fmall llream of moft excellent water; but as this was furrounded by
a loofe morafs, through which we were obliged to pafs, the accomplifb-
ment o f this objeft was' rendered fo tedious, as to detain us here until the
Wcdncf. 23. evening of the 23d, when we prepared for our departure; and at four
Thurfday*4. the next morning, having the ebb tide, and a frelh breeze from the n . w .
we turned out of the port. The wind in the offing was very lio-ht and
baffling, but we direfted our courfe with it in the bell manner we were
able towards Monterrey; where I expended to find the deferters of the
Chatham, and where, by explaining the peculiar nature o f our fitua-
tion to Sen'- Arrillaga, the a fling commandant of the province, I was in
hopes
hopes of meeting a reception worthy of our flotation, notwithftanding 0aobcr
his: former reftriflive orders. 1----.—
It appeared by Mr. Puget’s journal, that from light variable winds,
calms and fogs, he did not reach the entrance into port Bodega until the
morning of the 20th, when he Hood in between its north point, and the
flat rock-lying off it; noticed on the tgth o f february, 1792; and anchored
in 6 fathoms water, the flat rock bearing by compafs s. w . ; and
an opening in the land fuppofed to be the mouth of the harbour, w.N.w.
Here Mr. Puget remarks, that in gaining this ftation it was again his
misfortune to be inconvenienced by a thick fog; but as fuch impediments
had already detained him far beyond his expeflations, he had embraced
the opportunity of the firft clear interval to bear away for this
narrow palfage, and found the depth of water from 10 to 4 fathoms;
the flat rock was found to lie from the north point of the port, s. 63 £.,
diftant a quarter of a mile: About a mile from the flat rock a reef of
rocks extends s. 18 w . ; off its north point- is a ffioal two or three Ihip’s
lengths in extent; this ought not be nearer approached than the foundings
of 4 fathoms will admit, and is difcoverable by the weeds it produces.
The bell palfage through this narrow channel to the anchorage which the
Chatham occupied, is found by keeping the northern or continental Ihore
on board; at which ftation Mr. Puget inferts the. following account of his
tranfaftions.
“ Immediately after the veffel was fecured Mr. Johnllone was fent,
accompanied by Mr. Menzies, to examine port Bodega, which they ac-
complifhed by noon, having rounded out the fandy bay to the northward
in g and 12 fathoms water. The entrance o f the harbour is obftrufted
by a Ihoal of fand, on which the greateft depth is g feet at the laft quarter’s
flood. Mr. Johnllone went through this palfage clofe to the high
land, and at the back of the low fpit before us he found an extenfive lagoon;
which alfo had the fame foundings as in the entrance. On landing
they were joined by fome Indians, who had previoully made a large
fire on the north corner of the bay. Thefe people in their manners and
condufl were perfeftly inoffenfive;' their numbers did not exceed thirty,
o f all ages and of both fexes ; fome few had bows and arrows, which
they difpofed of to our party for beads and trinkets; the language they
3 K 2 fpoke
m