VI. EXPEDITIONS, 1815-1820 (continued 2)

Since all the island was found to be flooded owing to the very high water in the river, I sent the Indian sailors with an axe to cut a tree while I and the soldiers were eating lunch. They got so far away from us that they unexpectedly ran onto the Christian fugitives from San José and attacked them. As soon as word of this reached me, while we were eating, I and the five men immediately broke off our meal, but although we pushed about a quarter of a league through the swamp, we could get no farther forward on account of the deep water. Thereupon I ordered the Indian who had brought the message to tell the sailors that they should make their retreat and that we would wait for them on the spot to see if the runaway Indians pursued them. Soon they arrived, telling the story that they had got away and crossed a branch of the river by swimming. Each side shot a few arrows at the other but no damage was done except to one San José Christian, who was wounded in the leg. We embarked and continued upstream in pursuit of the fugitive Indians. We found the village but it was without inhabitants. Although we landed and traveled through the thickets, which are extremely dense, it was very difficult to catch any of them unless by surprise. So at about five o’clock we went back on board the boat and sailed some five miles to the northwest, where we stopped with the intention of cutting a tree. But since we could not find one suitable for the mast of the launch, at eight o’clock in the evening I decided to go back. Having sailed all night, at six o’clock in the morning of the 24th, we anchored in the bay of the Chupucanes, there to await and join the launch “Josefina” and pass through Carquinez Strait.39

She arrived at six o’clock in the afternoon of this day. Here we remained until the following day, the 25th, when Mass was celebrated at nine o’clock in the morning. At ten-thirty o’clock we set sail and navigated until four o’clock in the afternoon. With the aid of the high tide we anchored off Point San Pablo. The launch “Josefina” did not stop but kept on to the Island of Los Angeles, five miles north of the Presidio. At eight o’clock in the evening we departed from Point San Pablo and at ten o’clock rejoined the launch “Josefina.” At twelve o’clock the latter started to cross to the Port. I waited until one o’clock in the morning, at which time we made the crossing to the port and anchored without incident at two o’clock in the morning of the 26th at the wharf. The launch “Josefina” went by another course and arrived safely shortly after we did.

This is in substance all that I can give your Excellency as official information. I still entertain regret that I have not been able to secure more exact information, as I had wished, for the reasons which I outlined at the beginning.

May God preserve many years the life of your Excellency.

Luís Argüello (rubric)

San Francisco, May 26, 1817