[5] The site originally chosen lay too low, and from the outset danger
of inundation was foreseen. A flood occurred in 1779, and in 1784 the
mission was removed to higher ground. The present buildings date from
1825-26.



VII.



Though Junipero's subordinates had thus done without him in these
important developments at San Francisco and Santa Clara, he still
resolved to go north, both to visit the new foundations and to inspect
for himself the marvellous country of which he had heard much, but which
he had not yet seen. As usual, he was long detained by urgent affairs,
and it was not till autumn that he succeeded in breaking away. He made a
short stay at Santa Clara, and then pushed on to San Francisco, which he
reached in time to say mass on St. Francis' day. After a ten days' rest,
he crossed to the presidio and feasted his eyes on the glorious vision
of the Golden Gate - a sight which once seen is never to be forgotten.
"Thanks be to God!" he cried, in rapture (these, says Palou, were the
words most frequently on his lips); "now our Father St. Francis, with
the Holy Cross of the procession of missions, has reached the ultimate
end of this continent of California. To go further ships will be
required!" Yet his joy was tempered with the thought that the eight
missions already founded were very far apart, and that much labour would
be necessary to fill up the gaps.

It was thus with the feeling that, while something had been done, far