November. us eveiY civility within the line prefcribed by the orders under which he
i— -v-— i afted; but was forry to obferve, that thefe would reduce his power of
rendering us fervice, much within the limits of his inclinations.
So polite and friendly a reception could hot fail being extremely acceptable,
and after making a fatisfaftory reply to the letter I had received
, from Sen'- Grajero, I intimated my intention o f paying him my refpeffs
on the following morning.
This vifit accordingly took place, accompanied by Lieutenants Puget
and Hanfon. On landing we found horfes in waiting for us on which
we rode up to the Prefidio, where we were received with that politenefs
and hofpitality we had reafon to expeft from the liberal behaviour of the
commandant on the preceding, evening. His friendly offers were immediately
renewed, and were accompanied by fimilar affurances of affiftance
from Senr- Don Jofe Zuniga, the former commandant, who had recently
been promoted to the rank o f captain of infantry, and appointed to the
charge of an important poll on the oppolite fide o f the gulph of California,
for which place he was then preparing to depart..
Thefe gentlemen informed us, that having been given to underhand it
was my intention to vifit this port they had long expe&ed us, and that
about four days before, on being informed o f the probability o f our arrival,
they had, to their great mortification, received at the fame .time
from Sen'- Arrillaga fuch a lift of reftrictions, as would inevitably deprive
both parties of that fatisfaftibn, that could not otherways have failed to
render our flay here very pleafant. Thefe orders prohibited our tranf-
afiling any bufinefs on fhore, -excepting that o f procuring wood and water;
particularly direfted that the-ftore fhip fhould not be unladen at St.
Diego ; and exprefled, that when the above fupplies were furnifhed, which
was to be done with all poflible expedition, it was expefted that we fhould
immediately depart. We were alfo prohibited from taking on board any
live cattle or fheep, with many other fevere and inhofpitable injunftions.
Notwithftanding thefe very ungenerous directions, our friends here
defired that I would not abftain from demanding fuch refrefhments as the
country afforded; as their fervices fhould be at our command in every
refpefi, and on all occafions, where they could pofftbly exert themfelyes,
and
and appear to keep within the limits of the orders by which, although >793'
contrary to their own inclinations, they were now compelled to govern v —
their conduft.
The charts of our fummer’s furvey we had no opportunity of copying
whilft at fea, with a fufficient degree of accuracy ; this bufinefs therefore
fully occupied our time until the 6th of the following month, without Friday 6.
any circumftance occurring in this interval worthy of recording. When
thefe were completed, I confided them, together with due information
Of the progrefs of our voyage up to this period, to the care of Sen'- Don
Antonio Grajero, contained in two packets addrefled to the Secretary of
the Admiralty; as alfo a packet for Senr- Quadra at St. Bias, containing,
agreeably to my promife, a copy o f our difcoveries during the laft feafon
for the fervice and information of His Catholic Majefty. Thefe the
commandant very obligingly took 'charge of, and gave me every aflur-
ance that they fhould be forwarded with the greateft punctuality and dif-
patch.
The wind coming from the fouth prevented our failing the next day Saturday 7;
as I had intended; but I did not regret the detention, as it afforded us
the pleafure of a vifit from our very highly efteemed and venerable friend
the Father prefident of the miffionaries o f the Francifcan order in this
country, who was then on a vifitation to the feveral miffions between S"t>
Francifco and this port, where he had arrived the preceding evening
from St. Juan Capiftrano. , He exprefled much concern that-our departure
was fo near at hand, fince the great fertility of St. Juan’s would
have enabled him to add abundantly to our flock o f refrefhments. A lthough
I was not lefs thankful for thefe offices of kindnefs than convinced
o f the fincerity with which they were made, yet I was under the neceffity
of declining them, having now determined to embrace the earlieft opportunity
o f proceeding on our furvey. <
I had great difficulty to prevail on the father prefident to defift from
fending to St. Juan’s for the fupplies he had propofed, as in all pro»
bability we fhould have failed-before they could have arrived from
thence.
The