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The old franciscan missions of California
The old franciscan missions of California Author:George Wharton James Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III THE MISSIONS FOUNDED BY PADRE JUNIPERO SERRA San Diego Mission founded, Serra was impatient to have work begun elsewhere. Urging the governor t... more »o go north immediately, he rejoiced when Portola, Crespi, Rivera, and Pages started, with a band of soldiers and natives. They set out gaily, gladly. They were sure of a speedy journey to the Bay of Monterey, discovered by Cabrillo, and seen again and charted by Vizcaino, where they were to establish the second Mission. Strange to say, however, when they reached Monterey, in the words of Scripture, " their eyes were holden," and they did not recognize it. They found a bay which they fully described, and while we to-day clearly see that it was the bay they were looking for, they themselves thought it was another one. Believing that Vizcaino had made an error in his chart, they pushed on further north. The result of this disappointment was of vast consequence to the later development of California, for, following the coast line inland, they were bound to strike the peninsula and ultimately reach the shores of what is now San Photograph by C. C. Pis-rce li Co., Los Angeln. MEMORIAL TABLET AND CRAVES OF PADRES SERRA, CRESPI, AND LASUEN, IN MISSION SAN CARLOS BORROMEO, CARMEL YAHEY, MONTEREY. Francisco Bay. This was exactly what was done, and on November 2, 1769, one of Por- tola's men, ascending ahead of the others to the crest of a hill, caught sight of this hitherto unknown and hidden body of water. How he would have shouted had he understood! How thankful and joyous it would have made Portola and Crespi and the others. For now was the discovery of that very harbor that Padre Serra had so fervently hoped and prayed for, the harbor that was to secure for California a Mission " for our father Saint Francis." Yet no...« less