About five minutes before the conclusion of Divine Services a board- 
ing call was made by Capit&n de Navio Roberto Gomez Maguro, M.N., head of 
the Naval Service at Puerto Guaymas, accompanied by Commandante Magana the 
commanding officer of the Mexican Gunboat G29, which anchored about five 
hundred yards off our starboard beam. The CapitSn and Commandante were 
ushered to the Captain’s cabin where they awaited the President, and then 
were shown to the President’s cabin. Capit*an Maguro conveyed to the Presi- 
dent the well wishes of President Cardenas, adding that the President of 
Mexico hoped President Roosevelt’s visit in Mexican waters would be happy 
and his fishing luck the best. 
After luncheon the party embarked in the boats and shoved off - the 
first fishing venture of the ‘trip. President Cardenas’ well wishing must 
have brought luck for a very pleasant afternoon was spent. The honors for 
the first fish appropriately went to the President, as well as the honors 
for the biggest fish of the day, a 30 pound Yellow Tail, which gave him a 
good fifteen minute battle. The greatest number of fish caught by one 
person was seven, by Mr. Adams, a comparative amateur at the game, against 
such seasoned anglers as Colonel Watson, Dr. Mclntire, et al. 
The total catch for the day was thirty-seven fish, with fourteen for 
the President’s boat, twelve in Colonel Watson’s boat and eleven in Steve 
Early’s boat. 
While the boats were away from the ship, the crew fishing over the 
side of the Houston, caught in the neighborhood of 200 fish of all sizes 
and species. The grandaddy of them all was, however, a 120 pound black 
sea bass, landed on a 20 pound test line by one of the crew after a two 
hour battle. 
The sea remained calm and the weather cool throughout the day, and 
about 1900, the second leg of the journey was commenced. As there are 
bigger fish in the sea than have ever been caught, on we go to Magdalena 
Bay, three hundred miles away! 
After an early dinner, the party divided itself between movies, 
letter writing and the early-to-beds . 
Monday 18 July 
After a fast twenty knot trip from Cedros Island the Houston anchored 
about one mile north of the northern entrance head in Magdalena Bay, Baja 
California. The weather had remained comfortably cool for the passage 
and made sleeping a pleasure. 
Shortly after anchoring, at about 1000, the President and members of 
his Party were away in the ship’s boats to try their luck again. The desire 
of the President of Mexico that the President should enjoy the best of 
fishing luck during his visit in Mexican waters was fully realized and all 
voted the forenoon’s sport a great success. 
The President landed a 38-pound Yellow Tail, the prize of his catch; 
but honors for the day went to Colonel Watson who was finally able to force 
his way into the ’’big fish” class with a 60-pound Grouper. Another prize 
catch of Pa’s was a California Sea Bass at first mistaken for a salmon. 
The White Sea Bass is quite rare and was the only one in the catch. 
During the luncheon hour the Houston got underway and proceeded seven 
miles to the southward in the Bay to an anchorage off Santa Margarita 
Island . 
After luncheon a short rest was in order and about 1600 the party was 
in the boats again for another try at the fish in Almejas Bay and environs 
acting on the advice of the Mexican Naval Officers who had boarded the 
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Houston in the morning. The luck in the afternoon did not prove as good 
as in the morning, however, and the catch was almost negligible. The fish- 
ing was continued until sundown and several boats, including the Presi- 
dent’s, did not return until after the evening twilight had well set in. 
With six hours in the small boats for the day no sedative was needed 
to induce sleep this night. And so, after dinner and the movies, all 
hands turned in at an early hour. 
At 2000 the ship weighed anchor and proceeded out of the bay for the 
next stop on our trek. Cape San Lucas, 270 miles down the peninsula of 
Baja California. 
Incidentally, Magdalena Bay, our stopping place for the day, at one 
time served as the training base for the Pacific Fleet of the United 
States Naval Forces. It is an immense bay - eighty square miles of good 
anchorage area which can easily shelter the whole fleet. 
Tuesday 19 July 
At 0100 this morning the Houston crossed the Tropic of Cancer and the 
results were quite evident for the temperature rose to ninety degrees and 
by morning all hands had shifted to appropriate clothing and uniforms. 
Awnings were spread on topside to protect the voyagers from ’’Old Sol’s” 
rays . 
After a night’s run over a smooth sea the Houston anchored at about 
0920 in forty-eight fathoms of water off Point Gorda, some twenty miles to 
the eastward of Cape San Lucas,. Baja California. A slight sea and swell 
were running, but not enough to keep the President and party out of the 
boats; so after a late breakfast, at about 1040, all hands were away for 
the morning’s sport. 
The fishing did not live up to expectations. Again Pa came up with 
the largest fish of the day, a twenty pound Grouper. This was one of sev- 
en that made up the total catch of the day, with none being caught in the 
President’s boat. Having caught the largest fish for two consecutive days 
was the cause of a near-serious inflation on the part of Pa and a few SOS 
despatches were sent out to Secretary Ickes and Mr. Harry Hopkins for moral 
support in the deflation process. Also in the catch were two ”Striped 
Pargos”, a fish peculiar to these waters. 
In the days of the Spanish Dons, Cape San Lucas was used as the ’’jump- 
ing-off” place for Galleons that plied between Manila and Acapulco. In 
like manner the Houston is using it as a place of departure from the main- 
land for its voyage through the Islands of the Eastern Pacific. And so, 
at 1438, the anchor was weighed and the ship again headed southward for 
the next stop, Socorro Island, the largest island of the Revilla Gigedo 
Group, 180 miles away. 
While underway at eighteen knots during the afternoon the ship created 
its own breeze which greatly relieved the heat and made lounging and sleep- 
ing a real pleasure. 
After dinner the President and his Party aired their dulcet tenor 
voices before the movies in a ’’Community” songfest. 
(P.S. The mention that Colonel Watson caught both of the ’’Striped 
Pargos” was omitted at the Colonel’s request. He, being a modest retiring 
individual, was beginning to be embarrassed by his repeated successes.) 
Note: The above statement in parenthesis was written by the Colonel 
himself . 
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