THE WEST SHORE.
05
the Coast Range Mountains to Sonoma, reaching that
place some time in February.
Meanwhile the first party had sailed from San Fran
cisco on the 9th of December in the brig Comm. They
searched several weeks for the mysterious bay in vain,
imd then returned to report the harbor a myth, only to be
greeted by the appearance of Gregg's party, with the
assurance that the bay really did exist. The news that
Trinidad Bay had been discovered spread like wildfire,
and a dozen expeditions began fitting out, some of them
to go by laud and some by sea ; some of them having
members of the Gregg party with them to servo as guides,
and others "going it blind" on general principles. No
sooner did the Cameo come into port and hear the news
than away she sailed again, followed by the others as
rapidly as they could make ready.
Up and down the coast they sailed, meeting with
numerous adventures and mishaps, but failing utterly to
find the bay. Some of them returned with doleful
reports of their ill success, claiming the bay to be a
phantom, while others still maintained the search. The
return of the unsuccessful ones did not restroin others
from making the attempt Ships sailed loaded with
adventurers, some of them going on the co-operative
plan, while others charged from $50 to 8100 for passen
gers. In this way the Cameo, Sierra Nevada, James
R. Whiting, Isabel, Arabian, General Morgan, Hector,
California, Paragon, Laura Virginia, Jacob M. liger.
son, Mallcroy, Galindo and Patapsm, had all gone in
search of the elusive bay by the 1st of April, at which
time news of its final discovery reached San Francisco.
The Cameo, the pioneer of this fleet of prospectors,
was the first to find the long sought harlor, but not to
enter it On the 16th of March, 1850, she rounded to off
Trinidad heads and sent a boat's crew to examine a ioint
that jutted out into the sea. The boat rounded the point
and entered a harbor which they believed to bo the one
they were bo desirous of finding. While they were
making their explorations, the Cameo was compelled by
the stormy weather to sail, not knowing that the harbor
had been found, and thinking the men in the boat had
been lost She landed her passengers at Point St
George, some of whom were afterwards drowned in
attempting to enter the mouth of Klamath River in a
loat Meauwhile the deserted lx)at's crow explored the
bay and discovered the inscription Gregg had left upon
the tree, thus demonstrating the truth of his story and
the foct that they had ut last found the object of their
search. The inscription, carved with n jacknife, was as
follows:
tat. 4l- -a
Haromntpr 29 Ml.
Tier, fob. 4K at 12 M.
Deo. 7, lrtl. J. (Imrs.
They were on shore eight days and were nearly
starved, when the Ixiura Virginia appeared in the oiling
and was piloted in by the hungry explorers, being the
first vessel to enter the harbor of Trinidad for nearly
sixty years. The James R. Whiting and the California
followed closely in the wake of the other, and cast their
anchors in the bay. On the 28th the California sailed
for San Francisco with news that the long sought Trini
dad Ray had been discovered, and the pioneer Cameo had
been lost, as tho dcoitod luou buiieved her to lie.
The excitement was intensified by this intelligence.
A large uum!er of vessels were at onco advertised to sail
for Trinidad with freight and passengors. Not only that
point, but others were advertised as tho place of debarka
tion and starting ix)int for the mines, for it must le
known that Trinidad had its rivals even nt that early
period of its existence. The day after the California
sailed from Trinidad, Captain Douglass Ottinger, of tho
iMiira Virginia, also sailed from the bay in search of
another harbor. On tho 5th of April ho fell in with the
schooner General Morgan, fitted out by Samuel Braunan
and commanded by his brother John, off the mouth of
Eel River. Brannan sent two boats and Ottinger one to
explore the river, but the latter was swamped in tho surf,
and one of its occupants, Julius S. Rowan, was drowned.
Ottinger then sailed north and found and entered Hum
boldt Bay, which he tneu named in honor of that
renowned traveler. The Brannaim explored Eel River,
which they named Brannan River, a short distance from
its mouth. The following day they dragged their IxmU
across a neck of land at the foot of a high bluff, which
they christened 15 rim nan Bluff, and entered Humboldt
Bay. Unaware that Ottinger had entered and named the
bay but tho day before, they (tailed it Mendocino Bay,
apparently forgetting to apply the name Brannan to this
also. None of tho names bestowed by them seem to have
had any adhesivo properties. This party rowed along
the bay to its head, and then proceeded up the coast on
foot to Trinidad, wlnro they combined with the party
headed by R. A. Parker, from the James H, Whiting, to
lay out tho city of Trinidad. Harmony prevailed until
the question of a division of town lots was raised, and
then there was trouble enough and to spare. Parker's
company was much tho smaller of tho two, but demanded
half of the lots, while Brannan insisted that they should
Iw apportioned to all tho men equally. Tho controversy
ended in Brannan becoming angry, swearing consider
ably in his own artistic fashion, and taking his departure
from tho scene, and thus the only capitalist in lotli
parties was driven away. He went to Point St George
and then to Han Francisco in complete disgust. Meiulmrs
of his company decided to build a town near tho southern
end of Mendocino (HumlMildt) Bay, and cut a canal
through to Brannan (Eel) River, which was to lo their
highway to the mines. Still another party was interested
in Eel River. Helim Franklin, with live companions, had
l)een searching for Trinidad, coasting along the shorn in
a whale lioat Early in April, just after tho Brannan
party left, they came to Eel River, and in connection
with a party from tho schooner Jacoit M. llyernon,
explored tho river a distance of forty miles, supposing it
to be the Trinity. As tho mines were in tho mountains,
and as this stroma flowed from the mountains, the at
once assumed that it led direct to the milieu. A town won
therefore laid out, and Mr. Franklin returned to Haa