Page 9 - perkins_manuscript_ch2

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t Paze 9.

Santa Olara river banks tov;:. rda the Ocean .At1g,Jst the 10th.

For the next f aw yeai--s, t e Valley saw f.e:1 w ite en, nd

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its ri:mi tive life r01r1~ined· t'Ulohe.nged. bather l'~rancisco G~rces · i d
come thrOugh here on hi exploration of the MoJave Desert in J-11;il,
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of 17'16, and rested t en deys. His Diaey read as follows (IJb.u.e' s
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(Trnil of a Spanish Pio11eer")

!April 13th. l passedover a Sierra that comes of£ the SierrL

Nevada and runs to the west-northwest, imd entered in:to the Valle de

· .Santa Olara, having gone two leagu.ea on a north course, in the after-

noon having gone a leag1,1e and a halt northwest, arrived at the Cienega

de Banta Clara ( Ohagu.qabi t). One of the Jaua.Jabs having taken sick,

I turned 1n this place Wltil the twen,y thi:rd. day; during which l

visited various rqnoheriea that there a1. .. e in these Sierras1 as also

the oa.x.011.es nd arroyos, with mu.oh water and abundant grass, Llld from

whose inhabit~ ts 1 experienced ysrticular meekness and affabil ity.

l baptized one i.ntim old man, t he Father of the Chi et. of the· ch-

erias, ha ing inst ructed him 'by means Of S111Uletian, tl'1.o with <Ufi'iculty.

There c a other Indian trom the north northeast, ,vho promise to con-

duct me to their laud, as also hey did, ,ith five more JeltlaJabs who

arrived thes& days to ·trade.

· April 23. (1776) I departed west. and at a little distance

took a course north, ob vhioh l surmounted the g.treat sierra; and l).al t-

ed at a. oie11ega tha t is on the descent having travelled thus t ur,

nine leagues".

S,ft._..=r1', the Francie cans had. established W,ssiona a, S&11 Die , "
.,, ,., 7 r
1 (7 San Carlos (Monterey), San Iais Obispo, San ..t\nton1o, San Juan Oap-

f11&istrano~ d Santa llueno Veniura (l 82 ~ aud San Gabriel. 11 1 /

The Jum_p from San Gabriel to Santa .Bu.en.a Ventur , as 76 t:11les,
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al together too long f or a one da, march. :Not only ""hat, i n · he '

Valley na.vned by •r Crespi, Valle de Santa Catalina, bui lllter to ·be ,.