jasa- On his learning from Mr. Swaine which way .we were bound, he oh-
November.- ° r \ r ^ —-> ferved that wood and water would not only he found very learce, but
that a fupply could not be depended upon at St. Diego, or any other
port to the fouthward; and if it were necelfary that we (bould replenilh
our Hock o f thofe articles, it would be well to embrace the opportunity
which our prefent fituation afforded for lo doing.
The general deportment o f this officer was evidently the effeCt o f a noble
and generous mind ; and as this place, which was diltinguilhed by the-
name of Sn Barbara, was under the fame jurifdiCtion as St. Francifco and:
Monterrey, our very friendly reception here rendered the unkind treatment
we had received on our late vilits at the two other eftablilhments:
the more paradoxical, and was perhaps only to be referred to the-different
difpofitions of the perfcns in power.
The intelligence communicated to-me by Mr. Swaine, and the polite
and liberal conduct we had reafon to expeCt from the commandant, induced
me to think of accepting the advantages he had fo. obligingly offered.
T h e next morning, accompanied by Lieutenants Puget and Hanlon,
I paid my refpecis on Ihore to Senr Don Felipe Goycochea, the commandant
of the ellablilhment of S“ Barbara, and Lieutenant in the Spa-
nifh infantry. He received us with the greateft politenefs and cordiality,,
and renewed, with great earneftnefi, the offers he had made to Mr. Swaine
the preceding evening. He was pleafed to fay, that he ffiould derive the
greateft fatisfaCtion in rendering us every fervice compatible with the orders
under which he aCted. Thefe orders only required, that thofe who
were employed for the fervice of the veffels on Ihore, or engaged in taking
their recreation in the neighbouring country, Ihould return on board
every night. This ftipulation I affured him Ihould be punctually attended
to, as well as every other regulation that his prudence might fuggeft.
We were likewife introduced lo Friar Miguel Miguel, one of the reverend
fathers of the million o f Sa Barbara, who, in the name of himfelf,
and his companion the Rev. Father Efteven Tapis, exprefled the greateft
anxiety for our welfare; and repeating the civilities of the commandant,
offered whatever fervices or affiftance the miffion could afford.
Accompanied
Accompanied by thefe gentlemen, we went from the 1 1 Prefidio, in order „ ’ ?99- * o . November.
to afcertain, the fpot from whence we were to obtain pur wood and wa- u—^— j
ter. As the former was to be procured from the holly-leaved oak that
grew at fome difta'nce from the water-lide, our reverend friend offered
us the waggons of the miffion, and fome Indians to. carry the wood, when,
cut, dawn to the beach. The cart of the Prefidio was directed by the commandant
to he at our orders for that or any other fervice. The water,
which was not of the bed quality, was in wells clofe to the fea-lhore. We
were in no immediate want of thefe neceffaries ; yet, from the experience
of our late retarded progrefsfrom light baffling winds, in eonfequence
of the coaft taking fo eafterly a direction, and obftruCting tire general,
courfe of the north-weft winds that prevail moll part of the year, it was
highly probable we might find the fame fort of weather further fouth, as we
mull neceffarily keep near the Ihore, for the purpafe o f examining the,
coaft, which I now found would occupy more time than I had fuppofed.
This eircumftance, in. addition to the information we had received, that
the further we advanced the worfe we Ihould fare in refpeCt o f thefe effen-
tial articles ; I thought it prudent, notwithftanding the bufinefs appeared
likely to be fomewhat tedious, to give orders for its being immediately
carried into execution; convinced that we fhould greatly benefit in
point of health whilft thefe fervices were going forward, by the excellent
refrelhments the country promifed to fupply.
The commandant had ordered us to be furnilhed with fcelh meat in
fuch quantities as I might think proper to demand; vegetables and fowls
were principally purchafed from private individuals, whilft our reverend
fathers at the miffion, and die commandant, (hared the productions of
their gardens with us; which, likediofe of the more northern eftablifh-
ments, were but of fmall extent.
Since the recreation that had been denied us at Monterrey was here
granted without limitation, I felt myfelf bound to adopt fuch measures
as were moft likely to prevent any abufe of the indulgence, or
any juft caufe of complaint. For when I reflected on the unreftrained
manner in which moft of the officers and gentlemen had rambled about
the country, during our former vifit at Monterrey, I was not without
my