Father Junipero Serra and Don Gaspar de Portola decided on the following
plan; that Junipero Serra with Fathers Francisco Palou and Francisco de
Lasuen would remain in San Diego, where Serra was to establish his first
mission while Portola with Fathers Crespi and Gomez, Captain Rivera y
Moncada, Lieutenant Fages and some of the Spanish dragoons and muleteers
started overland to explore the country, and in quest of the Harbor of
Monterey, carrying with them the map of Sebastian Vizcaino. This
expedition was to result in the memorable "March of Portola," which
lasted about eight months. Missing the Harbor of Monterey on account of
an error in the reckoning of Vizcaino's map, the explorers marched as
far north as what is now San Francisco and discovered the Harbor that
bears that name; so named later by Junipero Serra in honor of St.
Francis of Assisi, the founder of the Franciscan Order. After continuing
a fruitless search for Monterey, the expedition returned to San Diego.
Junipero Serra was overjoyed at the unexpected discovery of the Harbor
of San Francisco, which Portola and his companions so enthusiastically
extolled, and was not discouraged over their failure to find the Port of
Monterey, but hoped to make another trial to find that Port on which
their most laudable ambitions were centered. But here a sad difficulty
presented itself. Governor Portola returned to San Diego with sad gaps
made into his ranks by sickness and hardship, but hopeful with the
expectation that the relief ship promised by Don Jose Galvez had
arrived, and that the San Diego Mission well established would be able
to give his forces a well deserved chance to recuperate. But what was
his dismay? The relief ship had not arrived, and Junipero Serra had
indeed founded a mission with the usual elaborate ceremonies of the
Church, but the untiring zeal and labors of himself and his companions