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Portola Expedition Expedition Diaries, September 4, 1769

The Portolá expedition was the first land-based exploration by Europeans of Oso Flaco to Price Canyon
what is now California. The expedition's most notable discovery was San
Fray Juan Crespi
Francisco Bay, but nearly every stop along the route was a first. It is also
At half-past six in the morning we set out to the west over sand
important in that it, along with the later de Anza expedition, established the
dunes, which we crossed in the narrowest part discovered by the
overland route north to San Francisco which became the Camino Real. That explorers, only half a league wide. We then struck the beach, and
route was integral to the settlement of Alta California by the Spanish Empire, traveled along it a matter of one league to the northwest; from there
and made it possible for the Franciscan friars to establish a string of twenty- we went inland again, turning to the east and crossing the dunes by
one missions, which served as the nuclei of permanent settlements, another narrow place, half a league wide. We were then fortunate
established a cattle ranching economy and converted thousands of Native enough to travel on solid ground on a tongue between two bodies of
Americans to Christianity. Three diaries written by members of the water. At the right, we had a lagoon of fresh water which was walled
expedition survive, giving unusually complete insight into the daily in by the dunes and prevented from emptying into the sea; on the
left we had an estuary which penetrated into the plain. We rounded
movements and experiences: One by Portolá himself, a record by Miguel
it by turning to the northwest; then we took the road to the north
Costansó, and a diary by Juan Crespí which is the most complete and
and entered the mountains through a valley grown with live oaks,
detailed of the three. The website of the Pacifica Historical Society features a
alders, willows, and other trees, and halted to make camp in the
day-by-day account of the expedition, with daily entries from all three same valley, near an arroyo of running water covered with
diaries. watercress. On the whole march, which covered four leagues, we
only found one very small town. Near the camping place we found a
When Portolá returned to Mexico in
village, whose people immediately came to visit us, bringing their
1770, Pedro Fages (now promoted to
present of fish and seeds, for which we thanked them, the
Captain) was appointed Lieutenant commander reciprocating with some beads. The chief of that village
Governor of Alta California, with has a large goitre which hangs from his neck. On account of this the
headquarters at the Presidio of soldiers named him El Buchon, which name he and the village
Monterey. Fages led further exploratory retained. I named the place" San Ladislao, so that this saint may be its
trips to the east side of San Francisco Bay, patron and protector for its conversion. We observed among these
and left his own diaries. people what we had not seen among any others, namely, that as
soon as we arrived the women spread out some mats, and after
scattering on them many seeds, told us to be seated. We did so, and
these poor creatures remained with us just as though they had
Figure 4: Fray Juan Crespi
always known us. I observed the latitude and found it to be thirty-five
degrees and twenty-eight minutes.

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