488 A V O Y A G E O F D I S C O V E R Y
fit s
December.
the refpective commanders at the feveral Prefidios are invefted with
great authority in the ordinary matters relative to their civil or military
jurifdiftion; but they.feem to have very little influence or concern in any
thing that appertains to the milfions or eccleliaftical government, which
appear to be wholly under the authority and management of the Rev.
Fathers.
The moft northern Prefidio is that of St. Francifco, which has under
its authority, or more properly fpeaking under its proteftion, the miffions
o f St. Francifco" and S“ Clara, the pueblo o f St. Jofeph, about
three or four miles from S” Clara, and the eftablilhment which I under-
ftood had been formed during the preceding fummer in the fouthern
opening of port Bodega; to this opening they have given the name of
P o r t J u a n F r a n c i s c o . O f this port I faw a plan, o f which I
afterwards procured a copy ; by which it appeared capable of admitting
vefiels of fmall burthen only. The channel, which is not half a mile
wide, is- round its weft point of entrance, has acrofs itr a bar, on
which at high water there is not more than 3 fathoms for fome dif-
tance; after which it extends to 2 miles in width, and continues fo, in
a direftion about fouth-eaft, for 6 miles. The foundings increafe in midchannel
to 6 and 7 fathoms, and deereafe regularly towards the Ihore.
Its head or upper part is bounded by Ihoal water, which extends fome
diftance into the harbour. I could not difeover in what part of the port
the fettlement is formed; though I was perfeftly fatisfied, that it had
been undertaken by a Spanilh officer named Senr Don Juan Matoota,
and carried into effeft by two expeditions from the port of St. Francifco;
and although I was unable to afcertain the force employed on this occa-
lion, I had every reafon to believe it was very meonfiderable.
The next in fucceflion fouthward is that of Monterrey, the capital o f
the province; under which the million of Su Cruz, near point Anno
Nuevo, is the moft northern, and was eftablifhed in the year 1789 or
1790; but was not at this time Completed, In its immediate vicinity, I
was given to underftand, a pueblo of the fame name was formed in the
year 1791 ; and about g leagues to the e . s. e . of it is the million o f la
Soledad. South and eaftward from Monterrey are the miffions o f St.
Carlos,
Carlos, St. Antonio, St. Luis, and S'1 Rofa la Puriffima; the latter is „ ' 793- December,
fituated near the entrance of the canal of S“ Barbara, and thefe confti- >—
tute the divifion o f Monterrey.
The next and fmalleft divifion is that o f S“ Barbara. Although this
Prefidio and miffion were not erefled until the year 1786, the Spaniards
had, prior to that time, refided in the neighbourhood for four or five
years, in fmall huts and tents ; but they only date the eftablilhment
from the completion of the buildings, which, I believe, has been uniformly
the cafe with the others; yet I was not informed, that in any
other inftance they had remained fo long expofed to the inconveni-
encies and dangers neceflarily attendant on fuch a defencelefs ftate, in
the event o f any mifunderftanding taking place with the natives. Be-
fides the milfion o f S“ Barbara, the Prefidio has under its ordinary
authority that of Buena Ventura, founded in the year 1784, and the
Pueblo de los Angelos, formed in 1781 ; which latter, I was told,
was fubjeft alfo to the control of the Prefidio at St. Diego, the fourth
and fouthernmoft o f thefe new fettlements. This prefides over the mif-
fion of St. Diego, founded with the Prefidio in the year 1770; over St.
Juan Capiftrano, St. Gabriel, and St. Miguel. The laft is not of the Fran-
cifcan order, but forms the northernmoft o f the Dominican millions. The
religious of this order extend their miffions fouthward; not only along
the exterior -coaft, but alfo over the whole o f the peninfula; and are
under the regulations of the Prefidio at Loretto, which is the only military
eftablilhment to the fouth o f St. Diego, on the peninfula of California.
The climate of the country comprehended between the bay and port
of St. Francifco, the former under the 38th, and the latter under the
30th degree of north latitude, is, by our own experience, as well as by
the information we obtained, fubjeft to much drought. The rainy fea-
fon is from the month of december to march, the autumn in general being
very d ry ; and although in the early part o f our vifit the preceding year
we had fome rain, yet we experienced an almoft uninterrupted feries of fine
weather, with a clear atmofphere, very unlike that which had attended us
there in laft november; when, notwithftanding that on many occafions
. Von. II. 3 R no