History of southern Oregon, comprising Jackson, Josephine ...

PACIFIC COAST. 2J
That in the meantime the English shouki fiml out the so-much-desired passage to the South
Sea, by the north of America and above California, which passage is not universally denied, and
one day may be found ; that they may fortify themselves on both sides of this passage, and thus
extend the English dominion from the nortb to the south of America, so as to border on our pos-
sessions. Should English colonies and garrisons be established along the coast of America on the
South Sea beyond Cape Mendocino, or lower down on California itself, England would then, with-
out control, reign mistress of the sea and its commerce, and be able to threaten by land and sea
the territories of Spain ; invade them on occasion from the E., W., N. and S., hem them in and
press them on all sides.
In compliance with his sovereign's mandate, the viceroy dispatched three vessels
from Acapnlco in the spring of lo9G, nnder the command of Bebastian Viseaino.
Beyond an attempt to plant two colonies, both of which were unsuccessful because of
the sterility of the country and the savage hostility of the natives, nothing wAs accom-
plished by this feeble pretense of obeying instructions. The viceroy was not permitted
to thus shirk the exjjense of making a proper survey of the coast ; for though he was
respited for a time by the death of the king in 1598, one of the first acts of Philip III.
after being securely seated upon the throne, was to command the viceroy to attend to
this matter without further delay. Viseaino was, in consequence, again sent out, this
time upon a genuine voyage of exploration. His two vessels and small fragata
were furnished with all the necessaries of an extended cruise, and he was accompanied
by pilots, draftsmen and j^riests, so that advantage could be taken of all discoveries and
proper records and charts made of them.
The fleet sailed from Acapulco May 5, 1002, and began exploring the coast at the
southern extremity of the peninsula of California. They were much baffled by a wind
blowing almost constantly from the northwest, which Torquemada says was produced
" by the foe of the human race, in order to prevent the advance of the ships, and to
delay the discovery of those countries, and the conversion of their inhabitants to the
Catholic faith." Added to this difficulty was the terrible malady, the scurvy, which
made sad inroads upon the healtli of the crews. They continued up the coast in spite
of these discouraging circumstances, entering the ports of San Quentin, San Diego and
JMonterey. Here it was found that sixteen of the seamen had died and that many others
were incapacitated by disease from performing duty ; and it Avas decided to send back
the ship commanded by Toribio Gomez de Corvan with the invalids. Corvan reached
Acapulco after a long and terrible journey with but few of the crew of his vessel alive.
A few days later, on the third of January, 1608, the two remaining vessels
renewed the voyage, and were s()(jn sejjarated in a gale, from the t'luy of which the
larger (nic took refuge in a bay spoken of in the record of the voyage as San Francisco,
where scart-li was made for a Sj^anish galleon w'hich had been wrecked there in 1595.
Tonjuciiiada says: "He anchored behind a point of rocks called La Punta de los
Raves, ill tlie port of San Francisco." It seems impossible that this could have lieen
Sail Francisco liay ; for one of the chief objects of the voyage was to find a harl)or of
refuge and sujiply for vessels in the Manila trade, and yet upon his return Viseaino
recoiiiiiieiided San Diego and Monterey as being the only (mes at all suital)le for that
purpose; yet it will be remembered that in later years, before any aiisoliite record of
the discovery of this liay was made, a chart ii])oii which such a liay was indicated was
tliund l>y an Fnglishinaii on a captured ]\faiiila galh'dii. The pr(i1)nliilities are, however,