DAWN AND THE DONS 149
to the daring of men in whom the spirit of patriotism mingled with the hope of loot. As finally organized and outfitted at the Hawaiian Islands, where it had stopped en route to California, the expedition consisted of two vessels, the frigate Argentina, with two hundred sixty-six men under command of a Frenchman named Bouchard —head of the expedition—and the Santa Rosa, a piratical craft, with one hundred
men,
commanded
by an
Englishman named Corney. While the ships were being refitted at Honolulu,
an American
trading vessel, the
Clarion, sailed to Monterey and gave warning to the Californians of the approaching attack.
Monterey was much disturbed, and Governor Sola— whose ceremonious inauguration two years before has been related—prepared his presidial forces to receive the invaders.
As a reserve, or second line of defense,
the padres were requested to muster their lariated vaqueros and archered neophytes. They had not long to wait.
On. November 20, 1818, a sentinel stationed at
Point Pinos, sighted the insurgent ships, and reported their approach. The Santa Rosa came in and anchored
