Costanso Says That
One Of Their Greatest Difficulties Was In The Control Of Their Caballada
(Horse-Herd), Without Which The Journey Could Not Be Made.
In a country
they do not know, horses frighten themselves by night in the most
incredible manner.
To stampede them, it is enough for them to discover a
coyote or fox. The flight of a bird, the dust flung by the wind-any of
these are capable of terrifying them and causing them to run many
leagues, precipitating themselves over barrancas and precipices, without
any human effort availing to restrain them. Afterwards it costs immense
toil to gather them again, and those that are not killed or crippled,
remain of no service for some time. In the form and manner stated, the
Spaniards made their marches, traversing immense lands, which grew more
fertile and pleasing as they progressed northward.
The expedition followed practically the route which afterwards became
the Camino Real. Its fourth jornada (day's journey) brought it to the
pretty valley where later was established the mission of San Luis Rey.
They called it San Juan Capistrano, but that name was afterwards
transferred to a mission forty miles north of this place. The command
rested here, July 19th. Resuming the march on the 20th, the sierra (San
Onofre), whose base they were skirting, drew so near the sea that it
seemed to threaten their advance, but by keeping close to the shore,
they held their way, and on the 24th they encamped on a fine stream of
water running through a mesa at the foot of a sierra, whence looking
across the sea, they could descry Santa Catalina Island.
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