6 WITH THE FLOWERS AND TREES 



ing the present site of San Francisco in November 

 of the same year. Their way was over ground upon 

 which were later to rise the cities of Los Angeles, 

 Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, and 

 San Jose; and Crespi's journal notes down in brief 

 fashion the principal events of each day. The 

 southern end of the trip, being accomplished in sum- 

 mer, and when every sight was still novel, was 

 marked with many a pleasant happening. There is 

 comfortable mention of grassy camps by cheerful 

 "eyes of water'* the pretty Spanish phrase for 

 springs ; by rush-fringed ponds, and by little streams 

 that came running from happy dells embowered in 

 wild sage and rosemary Viscaino's rosemary, per- 

 haps. Lovingly the Padre speaks of the rich wild 

 pastures for the comfort of the beasts, and of other 

 springs where watercresses floated, "good and 

 wholesome." 1 Infinitude of wild grape vines 

 formed dense thickets in the washes, and clamber- 



i There are perhaps a score of references in Crespi's journal to the 

 presence of "beiros" (water-cresses), in streams all along the coast 

 a fact that should interest botanists, among whom there is a dif- 

 ference of opinion as to the indigenousness in California of the com- 

 mon water cress (Nasturtium offieinale). Crespi might, of course, 

 have applied the term to some plant resembling the European cress, 

 aa our pioneers were wont to apply Old World names to such New 

 World plants as reminded them of those at home and were yet quite 

 different. There seems to be really no indigenous Californian, how- 

 ever, that resembles water cress near enough to have deceived so 

 intelligent an observer as Crespi appears to have been. 



