Santa Barbara-Ventura-San Luis Obispo County CA Archives History - Books .....The First Visit Of Whites 1891 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ca/cafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com February 7, 2007, 5:52 pm Book Title: A Memorial And Biographical History Of The Counties Of Santa Barbara, Ventura, And San Luis Obispo A HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE COAST COUNTIES OF SANTA BARBARA, VENTURA, AND SAN LUIS OBISPO, FROM THEIR DISCOVERY TO THE PERIOD OF AMERICAN OCCUPATION. THE FIRST VISIT OF WHITES known to have been made to the waters washing the shores of the three present counties composing our group, was that of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo and his sturdy men, in his two vessels, the San Salvador and La Victoria. Having enjoyed the shelter of the "land-locked and very good harbor" at San Miguel (San Diego), touched at Santa Catalina and San Pedro, and sailed past Santa Monica, they discovered, on Tuesday, October 10, 1542, a great valley, opposite which they anchored, seeing on shore some villages of peaceable Indians, with whom they traded and whom they called "los pueblos de las canoas," because these people had a great many canoes. These towns were in 35° 20', being near the present San Buenaventura, the valley that is now called Santa Clara. Here the Spaniards remained four days, taking formal possession, and communicating as best they could with the natives, who came off in fine large canoes, each carrying a dozen or so of men, who averred that other whites, like unto these visitors, were in the interior, and who told of maize growing in their own valley. Fishermen were these Indians, dressed in skins, and living largely on raw fish and agaves. Leaving this anchorage on Friday, October 13, the Spaniards passed, at some seven leagues distance, two large islands about four leagues long each, and about four leagues from the mainland. There were many cabins and trees along the coast, and continually the ships were boarded by natives from their canoes, who pointed out to the navigators and named the villages, whose names were certainly strange enough to the ears that then heard them—Xucu, Bis, Sofono, Alloc, Xabaagua, Xotococ, Potoltuc, Nacbuc, Misinagua, Misesopano, Elquis, Coloc, Quelqueme, Mugu, Xagua, Anacbuc, Partocac, Susuquey, Quanmu, Gua, Asimu, Aguin, Casalic,Tucumu, and Incpupu On the 15th they passed an island fifteen leagues long, very populous, with six villages, which they named San Lucas (now Sauta Cruz). Two days later they were in latitude 34° 28', abreast of the present Gaviota Pass, where the natives ate no maize, went clothed in skins, and wore their very long hair tied up with cords placed within the hair, from which dangled many small daggers of wood, bone and flint. Still northward, passing many points and capes, now and then the mouth of a river emptying into the sea, and everywhere evidences of a numerous population. Past San Simeon Bay and Las Piedras Blancas (between which now stands San Luis Obispo), and on up the coast to a little northward of 40°, whence they returned southward, until, on November 23, they were once more at their old harbor on San Miguel Island. And here they remained for nearly two months, and re-named the island Juan Rodriguez, for their stanch captain, who found a grave there; for on January 3,1543, Cabrillo died from the results of a broken arm, aggravated by the exposure of the voyage. At his instance, urged while dying, the expedition once more sailed northward, under Bartolome Ferrelo, and reached about 44°, then returned, reaching their home port, Navidad, on April 14. And it was sixty years before the whites again visited these shores. Then, in 1603, came Sebastian Vizcaino, commanding an exploring fleet of three Spanish vessels. It would seem that he knew naught of the discoveries of Cabrillo; for to all the points of interest he gave new names, mostly from the saint claiming the day of their discovery. And it must be said that many of the names applied by Vizcaino are those in use to-day. After exploring, recuperating, and re-naming San Diego, and also San Clemente and Santa Catalina Islands, they came, to "a regular row of islands from four to six leagues distant from each, other." Vizcaino was the first to note the parallelism of this chain of islands with the coast of the mainland, and he it was who gave to the intervening broad passage the name El Canal de Santa Barbara. Being anxious to reach northern latitudes whilst the favorable winds should last, Vizcaino did not anchor here. He had, however, a visit from an Indian who appeared to be the king of the coast, who came off in a boat with four paddles, and urged the visitors to land. Noting the absence of women in the vessels, he offered ten for each man! But on to the northward went Vizcaino, as far as Cape Mendocino, and the rest of his voyage has no local connection with the scene of the present writing. Additional Comments: Extracted from: A MEMORIAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF THE COUNTIES OF Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura, California Illustrated Containing a History of this Important Section of the Pacific Coast from the Earliest Period of its Occupancy to the Present Time, together with Glimpses of its Prospective Future; with Profuse illustrations of its Beautiful Scenery, Full-Page Steel Portraits of its most Eminent Men, and Biographical Mention of many of its Pioneers and also of Prominent Citizens of to-day, BY MRS. YDA ADDIS STORKE. "A people that take no pride in the noble achievements of remote ancestors -will never achieve anything worthy to he remembered with pride by remote descendants."—Macaulay. THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY. 1891. Barlow-Sinclair Printing Co., Chicago. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/santabarbara/history/1891/amemoria/firstvis216gms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/cafiles/ File size: 6.1 Kb