302 ELDORADO 



vessel was headed for San Diego; but it soon became 

 more than doubtful whether the}' could reach land at 

 all. The captain insisted upon making the attempt to 

 go to San Diego, the passengers remonstrated, and 

 finally broke out into mutiny, deposed the captain, and 

 put the mate, Mr. Rossitcr, in command, and the 

 course was laid to the nearest land on the peninsula 

 of Lower California. A guard was placed over the 

 water, and the strictest economy was enforced. Fresh 

 provisions were quite gone, and the chief part of the 

 supply consisted or rice and beans, which they were 

 compelled to cook in sea water. With a fresh breeze 

 there was little doubt that their supply of water would 

 last until they could reach land, but should it fall ofif 

 to a long continued calm, they anticipated great suf- 

 fering. After about ten days of these apprehensions, 

 and much anxiety, they sighted an island and ran to 

 it. A boat was sent on shore, and after hours of un- 

 successful search it returned ; no sign of fresh water 

 could be found. The next day they made the main 

 land and the search for water was renewed. For seven 

 days they coasted along, landing at every available 

 spot to renew the search, but nowhere was a drop of 

 fresh water to be found. Their situation was now 

 very critical. ' Thev estimated their distance from San 

 Diego to be about three himdred miles. They had 

 lost seventy miles in way in the last three days. Ev- 

 erywhere the coast presented the same forbidding, in- 

 hospitable appearance of barren, rocky cliffs, where 

 if rain ever fell, it was evaporated at once by the heated 

 rocks. A grave consultation was held on deck. To 

 the south, there was not a drop of fresh water until 

 they should pass Cape St. Lucas, and that was too far 



