This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1910 Excerpt: ...who had been left sick the year before had recovered from the disastrous epidemic of scurvy, but the greater number of those who had first contracted the disease while at sea had died, despite the efforts made for their recovery. The missionary fathers as well as the surgeon, Don Pedro Prat, and Don Vicente Vila, were ...
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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1910 Excerpt: ...who had been left sick the year before had recovered from the disastrous epidemic of scurvy, but the greater number of those who had first contracted the disease while at sea had died, despite the efforts made for their recovery. The missionary fathers as well as the surgeon, Don Pedro Prat, and Don Vicente Vila, were recovering from the common malady, for the contagion had not spared a single person of those who were included in the expedition. There was in San Diego a supply of corn, flour, and grain sufficient to maintain for several months those who composed the garrison. But with the arrival of sixty additional men, it could not be depended upon to last long, and it was to be feared that if the vessels were late in bringing the relief counted upon, the Spaniards would find themselves compelled by hunger to abandon altogether a conquest which, although very successful, had cost so much toil and so many lives. Lest he should incur such discredit, the commander gave orders that the captain of the presidio in California with forty men, should continue the march to the peninsula, to obtain from its missions all provisions he could, and to bring the cattle, which, as was said in the beginning, had been left at Velicata, being too weak to continue the journey. This wise measure not only aimed at the present conservation of what had been acquired by reducing the increased number of consumers of the available provisions, but also provided for the future subsistence, even if the relief by sea--so important for the success of the desired enterprise of Monterey--should fail to arrive. This detachment set out for the purpose mentioned on February 10, 1770. By this means, a new account was despatched to the viceroy and to the inspector-general of the state of affair...
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