ufficient importance to
justify his turning aside from his direct purpose and going south with
Rivera. Taking seventeen of his soldiers along, he left the others to
recruit their energies at San Gabriel, but the inactivity of Rivera did
not please him, and, as things were not going well at San Gabriel, he
soon returned and started northward. It was a weary journey, the rains
having made some parts of the road well-nigh impassable, and even the
women had to walk. Yet on the tenth of March they all arrived safely and
happily at Monterey, where Serra himself came to congratulate them.

After an illness which confined him to his bed, Anza, against the advice
of his physician, started to investigate the San Francisco region, as
upon his decision rested the selection of the site. The bay was pretty
well explored, and the site chosen, near a spring and creek, which was
named from the day,--the last Friday in Lent,--_Arroyo de los Dolores_.
Hence the name so often applied to the Mission itself: it being commonly
known even to-day as "Mission Dolores."

His duty performed, Anza returned south, and Rivera appointed Lieutenant
Moraga to take charge of the San Francisco colonists, and on July 26,
1776, a camp was pitched on the allotted site. The next day a building
of tules was begun and on the twenty-eighth of the same month mass was
said by Padre Palou. In the meantime, the vessel "San Carlos" was
expected from Monterey with all needful supplies for both the _presidio_
and the new Mission, but, buffeted by adverse winds, it was forced down
the coast as far as San Diego, and did not arrive outside of what is now
the bay of San Francisco until August 17.

The two carpenters from the "San Carlos," with a squad of sailors, were
set to work on the new buildings, and on September 17 the foundation
ceremonies of the _presidio_ took place. On that same day, Lord Howe, of
the British army, with his Hessian mercenaries, was rejoicing in the
city of New York in anticipation of an easy conquest of the army of the
revolutionists.

It was the establishment of that _presidio_, followed by that of the
Mission on October 9, which predestined the name of the future great
American city, born of adventure and romance.

Padres Palou and Cambon had been hard at work since the end of July.
Aided by Lieutenant Moraga, they built a church fifty-four feet long,
and a house thirty by fifteen feet, both structures being of wood,
plastered with clay, a