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During the Spring of 1769, two groups: Rivera y Moncada / Crespi and over 60 men, and Portola / Serra with over 50 men, marched nearly 600 miles overland from Baja, CA and arrived at San Diego in May and June respectively. They traveled with over 300 animals: horses and mules.
Diaries were kept by Crespi, Portola, and Serra regarding their travels in this region.
Also, in the first half of 1769, three Spanish ships were dispatched to San Diego:
- The San Jose: Lost at sea.
- The San Carlos: 62 people (including Costansó); 23 crew, 25 soldiers, and 1 padre.
- San Antonio: 28 people; 26 crew and 2 padres.
During the voyage or upon arrival in San Diego these two ships suffered the loss of over 30 men, one-third of their passengers.
From July to November 1769, a group of over 60 men traveled north from San Diego to the San Francisco Bay Area, over 600 miles. They were led by Portola, Rivera y Moncada, Crespi, Costansó, Ortega, and others with over 200 horses and mules.
Diaries for this section were kept by Portola, Crespi, and Costansó and used to establish the historical chronicle of the journey, including descriptions and names of landscape and interactions with Native Californian tribes. See references for more information.
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