ov. 

 1827. 



PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 321 



The padres, conscious that the government were chap. 

 now sensible of the importance of the missions, made 

 better terms for themseh^cs than they had been offered n 

 by the Republican government. They were allowed 

 to retain their places, and had their former salary of 

 four hundred dollars a year restored to them, besides a 

 promise of payment of arrears. In return for this 

 a pledge was exacted from the padres, binding them 

 to conform to the existing laws of the country, and in 

 every way to consider themselves amenable to them. 

 Thus stood the missionary cause in California when 

 we quitted that country. 



We remained in Monterey until the 17th, and then 

 sailed for St. Francisco to complete our water, which 

 at the former place, besides being so scarce that we 

 could hardly procure sufficient for our daily consump- 

 tion, was very unwholesome, being brackish and min- 

 gled with the soapsuds of all the washerwomen in the 

 place, and with streams from the bathing places of the 

 Indians, into which they were in the habit of plunging 

 immediately on coming out of the Temeschal. 



San Francisco had undergone no visible change 

 since 1826, except that the presidio had suffered from 

 the shock of an earthquake on the 22d of April, which 

 had greatly alarmed its inhabitants. 



We had here the misfortune to lose James Bailey, 

 one of our marines, who had long been an invalid. 



The third of December we left the harbour of St. De 

 Francisco, the shores of which, being newly clothed with 

 snow, had a very wintry appearance; and on the 13th 

 saw Cape St. Lucas. The next day we were off' the 

 Tres Marias, three high islands, situated seventy-five 

 miles to the westward of San Bias, and well known by 

 the frequent mention of them in the history of the 



VOL. II. Y 



