Fr. Antonio Jaime to Governor Sola
La Soledad, March 30, 1816
(Archbishop’s Archive, III (1): 190-191)
... telling him that last night Regidor Socio arrived from the Tulare Valley.[19] He brought back the missing Christians with the exception of three women and their husbands, one because she had just given birth to a child and the other two because their children were sick. Three others are still missing, named Marcos, Pastor, and Justo. These are at the village of Cuonam where there are numerous horses run off by Sebero and Pedro Pablo from the herd of San Juan. These same individuals in the night ran off twenty horses of the herd recovered by Socio and the Capilar Tapé. Three capilares arrived, one Tapé of the village Cutuchu, another Thizac of Taché, and the other Qucurlac of Culache.[20] The heathen are in all thirty-three. The capilares want to go on to Monterey with the heathen Indians to talk to the Governor.
After Easter the latter will return with them. They brought back ten horses lost on the expedition and turned them over to Corporal Sebastian.
Fr. Marcelino Marquinez to Governor Sola
Santa Cruz, December 13, 1816
(Archbishop’s Archive, III (1): 264-265)
... notifying him [the Governor] of the pleasure he had, yesterday and day before yesterday, because some forty sons of his mission who had run away returned. They are natives of the villages of Malime,[21] Chaneh, and Lucham. With them came others, heathen (men and women) of Malime. That village has now been abandoned permanently, for they have “left neither old men nor old women, nor blind, nor deaf, nor dogs,” nor is there anything to cause them to return. Some of them went to the village of Tasnil looking for a Christian boy whose relatives had previously taken him there. The searchers were told that he was in a village farther on. There now began a lively battle in which the Christians killed four heathen and took away from them two horses, one from Rancho Carmel and one from the town.
The pleasure of Father Jaime is great but his happiness has not been complete because there are still missing many Christians from the village of Notoalh who have withdrawn far into the mountains, fearing a surprise attack by the troops, among whom is Egidio, the accomplice of Chivero....
EXPEDITION TO THE DELTA, 1817
There follow herewith the two documents relating to the joint expedition to the delta in 1817. This was the final purely exploratory effort in the area. By 1820 most of the channels and landmarks were well known and river navigation offered few obstacles. By this time the Indians, except those along the eastern margin from Sacramento to Stockton, had been converted or driven out and little remained to interest the white man.
Father Narciso Duran’s Diary. 1817
This manuscript of six pages is entitled “Diario de la expedición de reconocimiento hecha ... en los ... ríos del Sacramento y San Joaquin.” It is the diary of exploration of the delta region by Fr. Narciso Duran and Lieutenant Luís Argüello. The two explorers started out together but later separated and still later reunited. Each kept an account, this one being that of Father Narciso. It should be studied in conjunction with that of Lieutenant Argüello. There are many points of disagreement which cannot be discussed in detail.