220 
SCENES IN THE PACIFIC. 
peninsula; and that all their plans for extending the missions 
so as to form a chain of connection with those in Pimeria are 
feasible. They have also obtained a much more accurate 
knowledge of the Gulf and its islands, shoals and currents, 
than they ever before possessed; so that the difficulties and 
dangers of any future voyage are much lessened. Great sat¬ 
isfaction is felt at these results; and yet the Padres grieve 
that they have not found a safe harbor, as their King has de¬ 
sired, in which the distressed seamen of the ships, bound from 
the Philippine Islands to Acapulco, may anchor and be spared 
by timely care, a dreadful death from the scurvy. The 
Padres still consider it their duty to pursue this object. They 
feel a moral, as well as national obligation to prevent this 
suffering. It can only be done by discovering a harbor on the 
Pacific coast, secure from seaward storms and convenient to 
fresh water. With a view to this, Padre Tamaral surveys 
nearly the whole coast from his mission to Cape San Lucas, 
and far northward also, from the same point; but all to no 
purpose. It is found inhospitable and barren near the sea ; 
and destitute of a harbor in which ships may lie with any 
safety. 
Padre Ugarte, on his return to Loretto, directs a new sur¬ 
vey of the same coast as far north as possible. And in com¬ 
pliance with this order, a small detachment of soldiers under 
the captain of the garrison goes to the mission of Santa Ro¬ 
salia de Mulege, and thence with Padre Sistiaga, to the mis¬ 
sion of Guadalupe. On the nineteenth of November, 1721, 
it leaves for the coast, and advances northward to 28° N. 
In this excursion they find three pretty good harbors, with 
plenty of water and wood; but no arable land near them. 
The largest one is not far from the mission of San Xavier; 
and may therefore be supplied with provisions, timber, &c., 
from that post. Highly gratified with these discoveries, they 
return to Loretto and report to Padre Ugarte what they have 
found. The Padre sends a narrative of his own voyage, to- 
