The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 23, July 1919 - April, 1920 Page: 287
319 p. : maps ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Sebastian Vizcaino: Exploration of California
Vizcaino at least displayed energy, and in March, 1596, his ex-
pedition got under way for the Californias. Three ships, with a
large number of men, made up his force. As an indication of his
intention to make a settlement it is to be noted that he carried
four Franciscans (to convert the natives and reduce them to mis-
sions), some of the soldiers' wives, and a number of horses. In
his voyage up the coast from Acapulco he lost fifty men by de-
sertion, and one of the friars (because of illness) left the expedition.
Crossing to the lower end of Baja California, he came at length,
apparently about the middle of August, to the site which Becerra
and Cortks had visited before him, and because the Indians received
him so peacefully he gave it the name which ever since it has re-
tained, La Paz (Peace). The winter storms of the Gulf of Cali-
fornia, which had already begun, were such that he could proceed
no farther with his flagship; so it was decided to establish a colony
there while Vizcaino himself should push on in the two smaller
vessels to explore the northern shores of the gulf. Accordingly
Vizcaino started north on October 3. He encountered terrific
storms, but weathered them, and at length came to a place where
the Indians invited the Spaniards to come ashore. So Vizcaino
landed forty-five men. All went well, until a Spanish soldier "in-
considerately struck one of the Indians in the breast with the butt
of his arquebus." In consequence there was a fight, in which some
of the Indians were killed, but as a boatload of Spaniards were
returning to their ship the Indians fired arrows at them from the
shore. One man was hit in the nose, and this resulted in a com-
motion which led to upsetting the boat. Dressed as they were in
heavy leathern armor, nineteen of them were drowned, and only
five escaped by swimming.
In course of time this event became magnified in the telling
until it reached the proportions of a very pretty legend. The story
was told that a certain Don Lope, a page of the viceroy, besought
the hand of Dofia Elvira. The latter at length promised to marry
him, provided he could replace a certain magnificent pearl she had
lost. Consequently Don Lope joined Vizcaino's expedition. Going
on the voyage up the gulf he was one of the men who landed at
the place where the battle with the Indians was fought, and was
indeed the one who caused it. He saw the identical pearl which
would suit Dofia Elvira, and seized it from the lips of a chieftain's
daughter. This not only brought on the battle, but also the en-287
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 23, July 1919 - April, 1920, periodical, 1920; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101075/m1/293/: accessed April 23, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.