Page:History of California, Volume 3 (Bancroft).djvu/383

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FLEET OF 1833.
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of sending the criminals to San Blas, as was desired by the captain. Finally the Bolívar, under a permit to purchase horses for coin at San Francisco by paying tonnage dues, managed to smuggle goods to the amount of $10,000, Padre Viader of Santa Clara being the purchaser, if we may credit the charges of Alférez Vallejo.

There were thirty-one vessels in the fleet of 1833, including six whalers and five doubtful names.[1] The Catalina, a Mexican brig, brought from Cape San Lúcas in January Figueroa, the new governor, and the ten padres Zacatecanos, carrying away in May Ex-governor Echeandía, Congressman Juan Bandini, and Captain Barroso. The Facio brought Don Juan Forster on his first visit to California, and also brought the news that Gomez Pedraza had occupied the presidential chair. The Volunteer on approaching San Francisco defeated in a race the Ayacucho, thought to be the fastest sailer on the coast. So states Davis, who was on the Volunteer; and the same writer records the festivities attending the marriage of Thomas O. Larkin on board the same vessel at Santa Bárbara. This bark also brought reports of a privateer on the coast with hostile intent, but nothing came of it. The only other vessel requiring special mention was the Loriot, which, by reason of alleged otter-catching and other smuggling operations, was seized at San Francisco in September by Alférez Sanchez. The sails were put on shore to prevent flight, but the rudder could not be removed. The cargo was transferred by water from the Yerba Buena anchorage to the presidio landing, and thence, as rapidly as one small cart could carry it, to Vallejo's house, where Supercargo Thompson was at first confined. Soon he was released on bail, with John Read on the bond, and in


  1. Vessels of 1833: Alert (?), Ayacucho, Baikal, Barnstable (?), Bolívar (?), California, Catalina, Chalcedony, Charles Eyes, Crusader, Don Quixote, Dryad, Enriqueta (?), Facio, Fakeja, Friends, General Jackson, Harriet Blanchard, Helvetius, Isabel, Kitty, Lagoda, Leonidas (?), Leonor, Loriot, Margarita, North America, Polifemo, Roxana, Sta Bárbara, Volunteer.