190 
SCENES IN THE PACIFIC. 
animals, that they may, by their powerful instincts, find means 
of quenching their thirst; but all these contrivances are vain. 
They kindle a fire to keep themselves warm, and, weary and 
famishing, stretch themselves on the sand for the night. 
In the morning Padre IJgarte greets the rising sun with the 
services of Mass ; and while they sing the “ Litany de Seno- 
ra de Loretto,” an Indian calls out in the language of his 
people that he has found water ! With solemn gratitude they 
dig into the oozing soil; they obtain a supply for themselves 
and their animals ; and having filled several vessels to serve 
them on their return, offer a service of thanksgiving to the 
Virgin, and commence their journey to Loretto. 
While the Padres are thus employed in establishing mis¬ 
sions and exploring California, Padre Salva Tierra is ear¬ 
nestly petitioning the Pope to discharge him from the office of 
Provincial Bishop of New Spain. He desires to spend his 
declining years among the Indians of California. In 1706 
his discharge comes; and with inexpressible pleasure does 
the good old man collect supplies of clothing, provisions 
and ammunition, for the mission. He is joined by two other 
Padres, Julian de Mayorga and Rolandegui. To their 
care he commits the stores, with directions to repair to the har¬ 
bor of Matanchel and await the arrival of the bark which is 
to take them to the peninsula. The Padre himself goes by 
land four hundred leagues along the coast to the harbor of 
Akomi in Senora, for the purpose of collecting free contribu¬ 
tions from the missions in the regions through which he jour¬ 
neys. 
About the first of January he sails for Loretto. He has a 
long tempestuous voyage. “This night,” says he, “the 
thirty-first of January, was extremely dark. We were with 
the mast lashed, and without a rudder; and amidst rocks and 
islands; the sea continually making a free passage over us; 
the sailors spent with toil and hunger, having been without 
food for a day and a half, were prostrate, giving up all for 
lost. The least damage w T e could expect was to be driven 
