EARLY SPANISH DISCOVERIES IN SAN MATEO.

SPANISH PERIOD.-The history of San Mateo county dates back to the time when California was first visited by the white race. Point Año Nuevo, its southwestern extremity, derives its name from having been sighted by Don Sebastian Vizcayno, on January 1, 1603. The discovery of the bay of San Francisco, which bathes the eastern shore of the county, was long a subject of dispute. Some have claimed the honor for Sir Francis Drake, who, in his famous marauding expedition of 1577-78-79, put into what was then and long after called the "Port of San Francisco," and remained some weeks, refitting his ships. He called the country" New Albion," and took formal possession of it in the name of his sovereign, Queen Elizabeth, and as her representative accepted the allegiance of some of the native chiefs. In perpetual memory of this act of possession, the old chronicle relates that a wooden pillar was erected, to which was affixed a silver plate, containing an engraved likeness of her majesty, with the date. It was probably a redwood post, with an English crown piece, or perhaps a shilling nailed fast to it, bearing her royal image and authenticated by the stamp of her mint. But that this Spanish port of San Francisco, entered by Drake in 1578, wherein the Philipine galleon, San Augustin, was wrecked in 1595, and which Vizcayno also visited in 1603, is not the same as that which now bears the name, has been fairly established from ancient records recently brought to light by the California Historical Society, and has been definitely accepted by an authority no less distinguished than Professor George Davidson, of the United States. coast survey. A description of it is to be found in an old Pacific coast pilot, written by Admiral José Gonsales Cabrera Bueno, and published in Manila in 1734. It is there located immediately under the lea of Point Reyes, and corresponds perfectly with that now termed Sir Francis Drake's bay. The present bay of San Francisco remained unknown, down to the year 1769, when José Galvez, the visitor general of New Spain, determined on the occupation of Upper California. For this purpose two expeditions were simultaneously despatched from Lower California; the one by land, the other by sea. The overland one, under the command of Don Gaspar de Portola, the first governor of California, reached San Diego on the first of July, in the year named, and after a short rest there resumed its northward march on the fourteenth of the

same month. Two schooners, the San José and the Principe had been directed to follow up the coast, and a rendezvous appointed at the Bay of Monterey, described by Vizcayno as a magnificent port, and which Galvez designed to occupy as the base of his new colony. After numerous vicissitudes, Portola's expedition descending the valley of the Salinas river, reached its mouth October 1st. Unable on a hasty reconnoisance to find the "magnificent port" described by Vizcayno, and misled by a fog bank into the belief of another headland immediately north of Point Año Nuevo, the adventurers continued their journey, and on the 30th of the month, reached point Corral de Tierra, and camped on the site of the present town of Half Moon Bay. The headland to the west of them Father Crespi, the chaplain of the expedition, called "Point Guardian Angel," but the more worldly minded soldiers, from the abundance of mussels found there, gave it the name of "Punta de Almejas," or "Mussel Point." When or how it got that of Point Corral de Tierra is unknown to us. In attempting to go further up the coast, the ascent of the first ridge revealed to the observers of the expedition, far to the N. N. W., Point Reyes, with the bay of San Francisco under its lea, and the Farallones to seaward, and confirmed the suspicion which had for the past month distracted the leaders of the party, that they had long since passed by the famous port of Monterey, without finding it. A halt was called and a countermarch decided on. But preliminary to returning from their unsuccessful search, Sergeant Ortega, with a party of soldiers, was despatched over the hills to the northeast, to explore and report on the character of the country to be found there. Three days were allowed for this examination, and in the meantime the men were allowed to hunt at discretion through the neighboring hills. On the evening of November 2d, some of the hunters returned, announcing the discovery of an immense arm of the sea, stretching from the ocean far inland. This was confirmed on the following day by the return of Ortega's party, who announced these glad tidings in advance by discharges of musketry, waving flags, etc. Animated by their unlooked-for intelligence, Portola broke up his camp on the following day, and struck out over the hills to the northeastward. From the summit of these, the party looked down on our noble bay, which in their admiration they termed another Mediterranean Sea! They turned sonthward, following the Cañada Raymundo with the idea of getting around the head of the bay, and so reaching Point Reyes and the port of San Francisco, lost for one hundred and sixty-six years! On the 6th of November they encamped on the northerly bank of the San Francisquito creek, not far from where Governor Stanford's house now stands. Explorers were again sent out, but as these reported that the bay again became wider beyond the point we now call Ravenswood, and extended to an unknown distance southward, alarm at the rashness of their undertaking began to prevail, and they arrested their march. In fact their powers were spent, and it was well they decided to attempt no more,

for

to have pursued their journey further, in their exhausted condition, might have resulted in the loss of the whole party. The discoveries they had made, it was important to preserve. Their provisions were almost exhausted, several of their number had died, and more than half the remainder were down with the scurvy. The native inhabitants showed signs of hostility, and the winter of an unknown region was at hand. A council was again called, and it was voted unanimously to retrace their steps. Governor Portola would indeed still have pushed on, but yielded to the unanimous voice of his companions, and on the 11th of November, 1769, they sadly commenced their homeward march.

All their meat and vegetables had long been consumed, and their ammunition was nearly exhausted. Their allowance of food was reduced to five small tortillas a day. These with shell-fish obtained from the sea-shore, acorns and pine nuts gathered on their march, or furnished by friendly Indians, and an occasional wild goose killed with a stick, furnished the staple of their poor food, as they toiled over their weary, homeward march. They reached Point Pinos again on the 27th of November, and notwithstanding their distressed condition, remained there till the 9th of December, searching in vain, up and down the coast, for that "famous harbor of Monterey," which Vizcayno had described in such glowing terms. Point Pinos, indeed, they recognized from its description, and the latitude assigned to it; but nothing else could they find corresponding to the description of the bay they were in search of. In despair they at last concluded that the harbor must have been filled up by sand, or obliterated by some convulsion of nature. All hopes of meeting the schooners, from whose stores they might have obtained succor was abandoned, and on the 9th of December they sadly prepared to renew their toilsome and dreary march towards San Diego. Before starting, they erected on the south side of Point Pinos, at what is now called Cypress Point, a large wooden cross, on which was rudely carved the words, "dig at the foot of this, and you will find a writing," and at its foot accordingly they buried a brief account of their journey. Its text, as set forth in Father Crespi's diary, was as follows:

"The overland expedition which left San Diego on the 14th of July, 1769, "under the command of Don Gaspar de Portola, governor of California, "reached the channel of Santa Barbara on the 9th of August, and passed Point Conception on the 27th of the same month. It reached the Sierra de Santa "Lucia on September 13th, entered that range of mountains on the 17th, and "emerged from them on the 1st of October; on the same day caught sight of "Point Pinos and the harbors on its north and south sides, without discover"ing any indications of the bay of Monterey. Determined to push on further "in search of it, on the 30th of October we got sight of Point Reyes and the "Farallones at the bay of San Francisco, which are seven in number. The "expedition strove to reach Point Reyes, but was hindered by an immense arm