PÁJARO
Pájaro (bird), a town in Monterey County, on the Pájaro River, which rises on the slope of the Coast Range, and flows westerly, falling into Monterey Bay, derives its name from a circumstance told in the diary of the faithful Father Crespi: “We saw in this place a bird, which the Gentiles (unbaptized Indians), had killed and stuffed with straw, and which appeared to some [of the party] to be a royal eagle; it was measured from tip to tip of the wings, and was found to measure eleven palms (nine feet and three inches), for which reason the soldiers called the place El Río del Pájaro.” The scream of the eagle may still be heard in the more remote parts of the Santa Cruz Mountains, where the great birds are occasionally seen circling far over-head, or perched in the tops of the tallest trees.
SANTA CRUZ
Santa Cruz (holy cross), the well-known seaside resort lying at the northern hook of the great curve that forms Monterey Bay, was named by the Portolá expedition, as thus described by Father Crespi: “We camped on the north side of the river [San Lorenzo], and we had a great deal of work to cut down trees to open a little passage for our beasts.... Not far from the river we saw a fertile spot where the grass was not burnt, and it was a pleasure to see the pasture and the variety of herbs and rose-bushes of Castile.” The next day they moved on again, and the diary continues: “After proceeding about five hundred steps, we passed a large stream of running water, which has its source among some high hills and passes through some great table-lands of good soil, that may easily be irrigated by the waters of the said creek. This creek was named Santa Cruz.”
A mission was established at this place by Padres Salazar and López, September 25, 1791, but the buildings finally fell into a ruinous condition, and were removed to give place to the modern church which now stands upon the original site.
SAN JUAN BAUTISTA
San Juan Bautista (St. John the Baptist), has suffered mutilation by the dropping of its last part, and usually appears as San Juan. San Juan is a small town in San Benito County, in a fertile valley on the San Benito River, forty-four miles southeast of San José. At this place the mission of San Juan Bautista was founded, June 24, 1797. Although this mission passed through some strenuous experiences, and was twice attacked by the Indians, and somewhat damaged by repeated earthquakes in 1800, it is still moderately well preserved.
