To
Lieutenant Ayala Was Assigned The Exploration Of The Bay Of San
Francisco, While The Santiago And The Sonora Sailed For The North.
Bodega Discovered The Bay Which Bears His Name, And Heceta (To Spell His
Name As It Is Usually Written) Discovered The Columbia River.
Bancroft
(History of California), in giving Palou's Vida as authority for his
short and incorrect account of Ayala's survey, says:
"It is unfortunate
that neither map nor diary of this earliest survey is extant." It is
with pleasure we are permitted to present to the public these important
documents, now printed for the first time, and only regret that the
shortness of time allowed for their study may perhaps necessitate later
some minor corrections.
We have also received from the Minister of Marine of Spain, Don Jose
Ferrano, under date of July 14, 1909, a drawing of the paquebot, San
Carlos, together with the record of her gallant commander, Don Juan
Manuel de Ayala.
Ayala was born in Osuna, Andalucia, on the 28th of December, 1745. He
entered the Marine Corps on the 19th of September, 1760, and was made
Alferez de Fragata, October 10, 1767; Alferez de Navio, June 15, 1769;
Teniente de Fragata, April 28, 1774; Teniente de Navio, February, 1776;
and Capitan de Fragata, December 21, 1782.
When the order for the exploration of the northern coast was made, Ayala
was one of the officers assigned to the work. He arrived in Vera Cruz in
August, 1774, proceeded to the City of Mexico, and was ordered by
Viceroy Bucareli to San Blas, where he was given command of the schooner
Sonora.
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