We cannot give sufficient credit to Reverend Raymond Mestres, the
present parish priest of Monterey, and a Spaniard from the Province of
Catalonia, like Junipero Serra and many of the early missionaries. Father
Mestres has given time, energy and noble efforts unstintingly to
perpetuate the memory of Junipero Serra and to more fully restore not
only San Carlos Mission and San Carlos Church, but is encouraging a
movement to restore if possible all the California Missions according
to their traditional and historical plans; may his great enterprise be
blessed with all the radiance of crowning success!

We will have ample reason to speak more of Father Mestres' good work
elsewhere in this sketch, hence we will pass into Monterey itself.
Monterey was named after the Spanish Viceroy of Mexico, who at the time
of her discovery, was the Count of Monterey. As we have many times noted
this city was of royal birth. Unlike any of the other Presidios, her
Presidio was el Presidio Real, the chapel attached to it la Capilla
Real, and the ships which sailed the blue waters of her crescent bay
were the ships of the Royal Navy of Spain. No mission town was without
its glories, its fascinating history or delightful surroundings, but
Monterey was like a fair empress of them all. Yet no jealousy or
feelings of rivalry were felt for Monterey by her sister towns, nor was
her right to the sceptre ever contested. From the time that Sebastian
Vizcaino placed her on his map in 1602 and glowingly described her
beautiful harbor, noble forests and majestic hills, Spain focused her
attention on Monterey, and when her Port was at last found by Portola,
and the stout old ship San Antonio under the command of Captain Juan
Perez entered her harbor on May 31st, 1770, without any discussion or
preamble she was made the capital of New Spain.