308 VOYAGE OF OABRILLO. 



and because there was a fresh northwest wind they stood off from the shore and dis- 

 covered two islands, the one large, which has S leagues of coast running east and west 

 [Santa Rosa, but with only 5 leagues of coast running as described], the other has 4 

 leagues [San Miguel, with only 2 leagues], and in this small one there is a good port 

 [Cuylefs Harbor], and they are peopled; they are 10 leagues from the continent; they 

 are called las Islas de San Lucas. [The name is here applied to but two islands, but sub- 

 sequently the whole group appears to have been thus designated.] From the mainland to 

 Oabo de Galera it runs west by northeast, and from Fueblo de las Canoas to Oabo de 

 Galera there is a very popidous province, and they call it Xexu ; it has many lan- 

 guages different from each other; they have many great wars with each other; it is from 

 El Pueblo de las Canoas to El Oabo de Galera 30 leagues; they were in these islands 

 until the following Wednesday, because it was very stormy. 



Wednesday, the 25th day of the said month, they departed from the said islands, 

 from the one which was more to the windward ; it has a very good port, so that from 

 all the storms of the sea no damage will be suffered by those within its shelter ; they 

 called it La Posesion [San Miguel j)reviously tcith Santa Rosa called las Islas de San 

 Lucas]. This day they advanced little, as the wind was not favorable ; and in the 

 middle of the following night they had a wind, south-southwest and west-southwest, 

 with rain, so that they saw themselves in difficulty, for it was a side wind and they 

 were near the land, and they could not double the cape on one side or the other [they 

 icere probably between Point Arguello and Goncepcion] ; and the following Thursday 

 at vespers the wind sheered off to the south, and they jnoceeded on their course 10 

 leagues on a coast running north-northwest and south-southeast ; all this coast is 

 inhabited and in appearance good land ; this night they kept out to sea, for they had 

 a side wind, and the Friday and Saturday and Sunday following they were beating 

 about from one side to the other with foul winds, and could gain nothing, and they 

 were in 36 J degrees, ]0 leagues from Cabo de Galera [off San Luis Obispo] ; and in 

 the same manner they held on Monday and Tuesday to the 31st day of the said month, 

 the eve of All Saints' Day, beating about on one side and the other ; and they wished 

 to approach the mainland in search of a great river of which they had notice, which 

 was on the other side of Cabo de Galera, and because there were on land many marks 

 of rivers, and they found no river. [ The great river for which they were constantly on 

 the watch, and of which they evidently received confused and perplexing accounts from the 

 Indians, was probably the Colorado. Its proximity renders certain the supposition that 

 the Indians were icell aware of the wonderful river, its whereabouts being evidently wholly 

 misinterpreted by the Spaniards.] Nor did they anchor here for the coast was very bold. 

 They found during this mouth on this coast the weather as in Spain, from 31 degrees 

 and upwards, and with muck cold mornings and evenings, and with storms, dark and 

 cloudy weather, and the air heavy. 



Wednesday, at midnight, on the 1st day of November, standing off, a heavy 

 wind from the north-northwest struck them, which did not let them carry a palm of 

 sail, and by the dawu of day freshened so much that they could do no less than seek 

 shelter, and they took shelter under Cabo de Galera, and anchored there and went on 

 shore, and because there was a large town which they call Xexo, and wood did not 

 appear to be very much at hand, they agreed to go to Pueblo de las Sardinas [Goletta 

 Anchorage], because there water and wood were very near and accessible; they called 



