248 G. Davidson — Nortluvedern Coast of America. 



hind the low, rocky and dangerous point Afio Nuevo. Mount 

 Bache, or Lonia Prieta, in the crest-line of the mountains, lies 

 nearly east of this cape, in latitude 37° 62', and reaches an eleva- 

 tion of 3,825 feet twenty miles from the coast-line on the same 

 parallel. A vessel passing three or four miles outside the shore 

 would rarely notice point Aho Nuevo, except from particular 

 positions ; but all vessels following the coast notice the mountain 

 mass projecting beyond the lower hills to the north and south, 

 although it does not break the regularity of the shore-line. This 

 is another of those cases when the vessels laid great stress upon 

 the large features of the coast and not upon an}'- details of the 

 immediate shore. I am thoroughly convinced of the identifica- 

 tion of this cape. The correction to the determination of the 

 latitude of both ships is — 1° 31', where the average of this 

 region is— 1° 25'. 



The narratives mention no further details. Even with fair 

 winds the vessels were not tempted to follow the gradually curv- 

 ing shore to the eastward, where under point Santa Cruz, in 

 latitude 36° 57', they would have found anchorage and protec- 

 tion from the northwest swell. Nor did the gulf of the present 

 bay of Monterey allure them. Far to the southward the moun- 

 tains of the northern part of the Sierra Santa Lucia were already 

 looming up above the horizon, and on "the following Saturday 

 they were running along the coast, and at night they found 

 themselves off el Cabo de San Martin. . ■. . El Cabo de San 

 Martin is in thirty-seven degrees and a half," which latitude 

 must have been noted from Avhat the}^ observed on their trip to 

 the northward. 



We may very well conceive that the scurvy was among the 

 crew, and that their provisions were not plentiful. Moreover, 

 Ferrelo's vessel was leaking very badly and Cabrillo was suffer- 

 ing from his broken arm. They knew that in the port of Pos- 

 session, on the north side of San Miguel island, the anchorage 

 in that small bay was protected from the southeast gales. They 

 anchored here on " Thursda}^, the twenty-third of November, 

 and because it is a good port they repaired the small vessel and 

 made her staunch, because she was going to sink. In the afore- 

 said port they remained until the end of December, on account 

 of the bad weather, Avith great cold and snow, even to the sea- 

 level, rain from heaven, and heavy clouds, and as the southeast 

 storm was continuing there was so great a surf, although in a 



