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DAWN AND THE DONS 22

Now it happened that the new Viceroy had some plans of his own by which he expected personally to profit, and which were not in harmony with the Monterey project. Montesclaros forwarded Vizcaino’s report to Madrid, where it created a favorable and a profound impression, but exercising his power as Viceroy, and justifying his course by plausible representations to his home government, he proceeded to carry out his own selfish plans. This he was able the more easily to accomplish because of political and war clouds that were then hanging over Europe, to which the Spanish government was giving grave and earnest attention. Thus Monterey went to sleep, to be awakened a century and a half later by the imperial pronunciamentos of Gaspar de Portola, and the pious prayers of Junipero Serra.