Culture Contact in Protohistoric California (33 pages)

142 JOURNAL OF CALIFORNIA AND GREAT BASIN ANTHROPOLOGY The fourth documented encounter was the ill-fated trip of Sebastian Rodriquez Cermefio and his crew, who were instructed to explore the coastline of California while sailing from the Philippines to west Mexico. The voyagers sailed into Drake’s Bay in 1595, where they anchored and camped for more than a month (from November 6 to December 8), during which time they interacted with the local Coast Miwok. When their ship, the San Agustin, sank in the harbor, they were forced to sail to Mexico in a small launch, making some contacts with native communities and fishermen along the islands and south coast of Alta and Baja California. Our analysis is based on a summary of Cermefio’s expedition translated in Wagner (1929:156-163), along with two additional ‘‘Declarations’’ from the voyage (Wagner 1924:20-24). The fifth expedition, led by Sebastian Vizcaino, set sail from Acapulco, Mexico, on May 5, 1602, in two ships and a frigate. During a voyage that lasted for about ten months, the flotilla visited indigenous communities along San Diego Bay, the Channel Islands, the Santa Barbara Channel, and Monterey Bay, and may have reached as far north as Cape Mendocino before turning back in the face of foul weather and scurvy. We relied primarily on observations made from Vizcaino’s flagship, the San Diego, in the ‘‘Diary of Sebastian Vizcaino, 16021603’? (Bolton 1916:52-103). These observations are then supplemented and corroborated (in many cases) by ‘‘Father Antonio de la Ascenci6n’s Account of the Voyage of Sebastian Vizcaino’’ (Wagner 1929:180-272). For most of the voyage, Father Ascencién was on board on another ship, the Santo Tomas, which did not follow the exact itinerary of the San Diego. Consequently, the observations of Father Ascencion included in our analysis are from locations visited by both the San Diego and Santo Tomas, where the same native peoples were encountered. In some cases, when the two ships anchored together (e.g., Cape of San Lucas, San Diego Bay, Monterey Bay), the same encounters were presented from two different perspectives. We also consulted the summary version of Father Ascencién’s account, entitled ‘‘A Brief Report’’ (Bolton 1916:104-134; also see Quinn 1979d:414-426), as well as his 1632 opinion concerning the potential colonization of California (Aschmann 1974). THE SOCIAL CONTEXTS OF EARLY ENCOUNTERS The social contexts of early California encounters typically involved meetings of small groups of voyagers and natives for relatively short intervals on board ships and canoes or on land. The crews of the European expeditions were moderate in number (ranging from about 100 to less than 300), multiethnic in background, and composed of sailors, soldiers, officers, slaves, and clergymen. According to Kelsey’s (1986:95-122) most authoritative estimate, the size of the CabrilloFerrelo expedition was about 200 men, and may have numbered as high as 250. They included Spanish officers, sailors, soldiers, some African and Indian slaves, Indian interpreters, conscripts, cabin boys, one or two priests, and perhaps a few merchants (Bolton 1916:5-6; Wagner 1941:8-9; Kelsey 1986:95-122). Drake’s voyage to the Pacific began with a crew of 164 men, including two or more Africans, and at least one chaplain (Quinn 1979e:477; Meighan 1981:62). The size of de Unamuno’s crew is not clear, but the frigata class ship they sailed was probably a single-decked vessel that could not have held more than a hundred men. The seafarers consisted of Spaniards, Portuguese, Philippine natives (Luzon ‘‘Indians’’), young Japanese males, and probably Mexican Indians (Wagner 1929: 140-141). Three priests were also on board. Cermefio’s expedition was comprised of about 80 men, including four slaves of the captain, seven Indians, and at least one priest (Wagner 1924:4-21). Father Ascencién observed that Vizcail about 7 ors, a vessel, (Bolto1 ethnic detaile can In (Wagn Th native cial or though most e report the shi not ve) en the three I Wagne lar in} ogists with tl Gabrie and si many packec mons 1993: TI was [t over a few lo The C in Ba took f about includ on the wintel places the v: when than <

142 JOURNAL OF CALIFORNIA AND GREAT BASIN ANTHROPOLOGY The fourth documented encounter was the ill-fated trip of Sebastian Rodriquez Cermefio and his crew, who were instructed to explore the coastline of California while sailing from the Philippines to west Mexico. The voyagers sailed into Drake’s Bay in 1595, where they anchored and camped for more than a month (from November 6 to December 8), during which time they interacted with the local Coast Miwok. When their ship, the San Agustin, sank in the harbor, they were forced to sail to Mexico in a small launch, making some contacts with native communities and fishermen along the islands and south coast of Alta and Baja California. Our analysis is based on a summary of Cermefio’s expedition translated in Wagner (1929:156-163), along with two additional ‘‘Declarations’’ from the voyage (Wagner 1924:20-24). The fifth expedition, led by Sebastian Vizcaino, set sail from Acapulco, Mexico, on May 5, 1602, in two ships and a frigate. During a voyage that lasted for about ten months, the flotilla visited indigenous communities along San Diego Bay, the Channel Islands, the Santa Barbara Channel, and Monterey Bay, and may have reached as far north as Cape Mendocino before turning back in the face of foul weather and scurvy. We relied primarily on observations made from Vizcaino’s flagship, the San Diego, in the ‘‘Diary of Sebastian Vizcaino, 16021603’? (Bolton 1916:52-103). These observations are then supplemented and corroborated (in many cases) by ‘‘Father Antonio de la Ascenci6n’s Account of the Voyage of Sebastian Vizcaino’’ (Wagner 1929:180-272). For most of the voyage, Father Ascencién was on board on another ship, the Santo Tomas, which did not follow the exact itinerary of the San Diego. Consequently, the observations of Father Ascencion included in our analysis are from locations visited by both the San Diego and Santo Tomas, where the same native peoples were encountered. In some cases, when the two ships anchored together (e.g., Cape of San Lucas, San Diego Bay, Monterey Bay), the same encounters were presented from two different perspectives. We also consulted the summary version of Father Ascencién’s account, entitled ‘‘A Brief Report’’ (Bolton 1916:104-134; also see Quinn 1979d:414-426), as well as his 1632 opinion concerning the potential colonization of California (Aschmann 1974). THE SOCIAL CONTEXTS OF EARLY ENCOUNTERS The social contexts of early California encounters typically involved meetings of small groups of voyagers and natives for relatively short intervals on board ships and canoes or on land. The crews of the European expeditions were moderate in number (ranging from about 100 to less than 300), multiethnic in background, and composed of sailors, soldiers, officers, slaves, and clergymen. According to Kelsey’s (1986:95-122) most authoritative estimate, the size of the CabrilloFerrelo expedition was about 200 men, and may have numbered as high as 250. They included Spanish officers, sailors, soldiers, some African and Indian slaves, Indian interpreters, conscripts, cabin boys, one or two priests, and perhaps a few merchants (Bolton 1916:5-6; Wagner 1941:8-9; Kelsey 1986:95-122). Drake’s voyage to the Pacific began with a crew of 164 men, including two or more Africans, and at least one chaplain (Quinn 1979e:477; Meighan 1981:62). The size of de Unamuno’s crew is not clear, but the frigata class ship they sailed was probably a

single-decked vessel that could not have held more than a hundred men. The seafarers consisted of Spaniards, Portuguese, Philippine natives (Luzon ‘‘Indians’’), young Japanese males, and probably Mexican Indians (Wagner 1929: 140-141). Three priests were also on board. Cermefio’s expedition was comprised of about 80 men, including four slaves of the captain, seven Indians, and at least one priest (Wagner 1924:4-21). Father Ascencién observed that Vizcail about 7 ors, a vessel, (Bolto1 ethnic detaile can In (Wagn Th native cial or though most e report the shi not ve) en the three I Wagne lar in} ogists with tl Gabrie and si many packec mons 1993: TI was [t over a few lo The C in Ba took f about includ on the wintel places the v: when than <