About December 20th, Victoria left San Gabriel.[1] On his way south he spent some days at San Luis Rey with Padre Antonio Peyri, who decided to leave California with the fallen governor. Meanwhile Juan Bandini at San Diego made a contract with John Bradshaw and Supercargo Thomas Shaw of the American ship Pocahontas to carry Victoria to Mazatlan for $1,600 in silver, to be paid before setting sail;[2] and the exile, arriving on the 27th, went immediately on board the ship, which did not sail, however, for twenty days. I have before me an autograph letter addressed by Victoria to Captain Guerra on the 31st from on board the Pocahontas still in port,[3] in which he expresses confidence that his own acts will meet the approval of the national government, and that relief for the ills that afflict California will not be long delayed. His wounds were rapidly healing, and but for grief at the fate of his compadre Pacheco and the bereavement of the widow, he would be a happy man. He urged Guerra to keep his friends the Carrillos if possible from accepting the new plan. The vessel sailed on January 17, 1832, with Victoria and two servants, Padre Peyri and several neophyte boys, and Alférez Rodrigo del Pliego.[4] On February 5th, hav-
- ↑ Dec. 21st, Echeandía from Los Angeles announces that V. has already started for S. Diego to embark. Dept. St. Pap., S. José, MS., iv. 94; Vallejo, Doc., MS., i. 251.
- ↑ I have the original contract approved by E. on Dec. 27th, with the correspondence of E., Bandini, and Stearns on the subject, in Bandini, Doc., MS., 18-24, 27-30. See also Leg. Rec., MS., i. 194, 211, 297-8. The money — reduced to $1,500 by the fact that Pliego paid $100 for his own passage — was borrowed from foreigners and other private individuals, except a small sum obtained from the Los Angeles municipal funds. Stearns acted as agent to obtain the money, and E. and Bandini became responsible for its re-payment. It was paid over to Bradshaw on Jan. 11th. In February the dip. assumed the debt, but asked for time, greatly to Bandini's annoyance. Of the final settlement I know only that in Sept. 1834, Bandini acknowledged the receipt of $300 from the ayunt. of Angeles on this account. Dept. St. Pap., Angeles, MS., i. 118.
- ↑ Doc. Hist. Cal., MS., iv. 925-7.
- ↑ 53 References to embarkation of the passengers and sailing of the Pocahontas in Bandini, Doc. Hist. Cal., MS., 18-30; Id., Hist. Cal., MS., 76-7; S. José Arch., MS., v. 40; Vallejo, Doc., MS., i. 254; xxx. 286, 290; Guerra, Doc., MS., iv. 180-1; Dept. St. Pap., MS., iii. 21-2. There was a report
20-1; St. Pap., Sac., MS., xii. 9. He seems to propose also that the different comandantes should select a comandante general to act temporarily.
