456
''793- fenfe I ftiall' ever entertain of the obligations they fo liberally and unex-
I peftedly bellowed.
Monday 18. We were attended at breakfafl the next morning with our friends from
the Ibore; and the want of wind detained us at anchor until near noons
when we took leave of our S’* Barbara friends, and, accompanied by Father
Vincente, we direfiled our courfe towards Bueno Ventura.
Whilft we remained at SB Barbara, Mr. Whidbey, whofe time was
principally devoted to , the feveral duties on fhore, embraced that opportunity
of making fome necèffary aftrönomical obfervations with the artificial
horizon ; the only means we had of afcertaining the latitude, variation,
and the longitude by the chronometers. The mean refults fhewed
the latitude, by four meridional altitudes of the fun, to be 34° 24'; the variation,
by fix fets of azimuths, differing from 11° 14' to 90, to be io° 15'
eaftwardly; and the longitude, by eightfets o f altitudes of the fun between
the 11th and 15th, allowing the error and rate as calculated at Monterrey,
was (hewn by Kendall’s chronometer to be 240* 45'40"; Arnold’s
No. 14, 240“ 44' 16” ; No. 176, 240° 56' 4 5 and the true longitude
deduced from fubfequent obfervations, 240” 43'. As I continued to
.allow the fame rate, the fituation of the coaft has been laid down by No.
14 ; and I fhould hope, by the regularity with which it had lately gone,
with fome degree of precifion. The tide, though Ihewing here; no vifi-
ble flream, regularly ebbed and flowed every fix hours ; the rife and fall,
as nearly as could be eftimated, feemed to be about three or four feet;
and it is high water about eight hours after the moon paffes the meridian.
To fail into the bay, or more properly fpeaking the roadllead, o f S’*
Barbara, requires but few directions, as it is open and without any kind
of interruption whatever; the foundings on approaching it are regular,
from 15 to 3 fathoms; the former from half a league to 2 miles, the
latter within a cable and half of the fhore. Weeds were feen growing
about the roadllead in many places; but, fo far as we examined, which
was only in the vicinity of our anchorage, they did not appear to indicate
fhallower water, or a bottom o f a different nature. The fhores of
the roadllead are for the mod part low, and terminate in fandy beaches,
to which however its weftern point is rather an exception, being a fteep
cliff
R O U N D T H E WO R L D .
cliff moderately elevated; to this point I gave the name o f P oin t
F e l ip e , after the commandant of S’*Barbara.
The interior country a few miles only from the water fide, is com-
pofed of rugged barren mountains, which I was informed rife in five dif-
tintt ridges, behind and above each other, a great diftance inland towards
the e. n. e.; which fpace is not at prefent occupied either by the Spaniards,
or the native Indians,
After we had paffed point Conception, die wind continued to blow in
very faint breezes, and our progrefs was flow along the coaft, which
rofe about 2 or'3 leagues to the4fouth-eaftward o f S’* Barbara with a fteep
afcent in rocky cliff's, that moflly compofed its (bores.
A t eight in the evening we anchored in 15 fathoms water, about a
league to the weflward of Buena Ventura. Our reverend friend expreffed
great fatisfaflion at the mode of his return to the million; and faid, that
his voyage hither would probably lay the foundation for removing the
abfurd and deep-rooted prejudice that had ever, exifled amongft the feveral
tribes o f Indians in his neighbourhood, who from their earlieft infancy
had invariably regarded all ftrangers as their, enemies-. This fenti-
ment had totally prevented any amicable intercourfe, or communication
between their different focieties, although living within a fmall diftance
o f each other. And it feemed to have been a matter of no fmall difficulty
on the part of the miflionaries, to perfuade the native inhabitants of
the canal of S’* Barbara, who had been informed of our intention to vifit
the coaft, that we were their friends, and fhould treat them with kindnefs
and civility; having probably been taught at fome earlier period, to con-
fider the Englifh under a very different charafter. Proofs were not wanting
that fuch notions dill continued to exift, for notwithftanding-that four or
five favorite Indian fervants, who attended on father Vincente, -had wit-
neffed the cordial reception and friendly intercourfe that fubfifted between
.us, yet on his giving them diredlions to return home with his horfes and
mules by themfelves, as he (hould go thither in the (hip, they- inftantly,
and with one voice, prayed for the fake of God that he would not perfilt
in his determination; being thoroughly convinced that if he did they
(hould never fee him more: nor was it in the power of language, either
V ol. II. 3 N by
‘793-
November.
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