176 
SCENES IN THE PACIFIC. 
exploring the country. He takes with him the Captain and 
some soldiers, and proceeds to San Xavier, where he is joined 
by Padres Piccolo and Bassaldua. Thence they travel with 
great difficulty over the thirsty mountains to the Pacific, and 
search the coast far northward for a harbor, fresh water, and 
tillable land. None is found which will shelter ships from 
the prevailing winds. Some land, with a good soil, is dis¬ 
covered ; but the absence of water for irrigation renders it 
useless. By going south, however, they fall upon the little 
river San Xavier. Here they find a few Indians who, after run¬ 
ning away, are persuaded to show themselves friends. On 
their return these Padres pass two rancherias, the inhabitants 
of which they induce to move nearer to Loretto. This jour¬ 
ney proves fruitless. They have discovered no suitable place 
for the establishment of a* new mission. In May, they 
make another, in search of a river emptying into the sea 
one hundred and twenty miles north of Loretto. Having ar¬ 
rived near Concepcion Bay, they fall in with a large ranche- 
ria of Indians, who seize their bows and arrows and come 
out to destroy them. The Californian Indians, however, who 
are acting as guides to the Padres, explain the benevolent 
object of their visit;and all are received as friends, and 
treated with the kindest hospitality. These Indians inform 
the Padres of a large tract of crags and abysses lying be¬ 
tween them and the river that they seek, which it is impos¬ 
sible to pass, and they return to Loretto. 
A dismal misfortune now falls on California. Some Indi¬ 
ans arrive at Loretto full of fright and sorrow, from whom the 
Padres learn that the wretch who formed the last conspiracy, 
the murderer of the soldier Poblano, and incendiary of the 
mission of San Xavier, has fomented discontent, assembled 
the rancherias, and massacred all the adult converts at San 
Xavier, except the few who have escaped to Loretto. This 
sad news determines the Padres and the Captain to punish 
those factious individuals, in such a manner as to prevent such 
outrages in future. Accordingly the Captain and soldiers fall 
