Notes

San Diego, the oldest Spanish settlement in Alta California, was probably first visited by a European in 1539 when Father Marcoos de Niza, with an overland expedition,.was searching for the mythical Seven Cities of Cibola. Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, on September 28, 1542, made the first visit by sea after sighting Point Loma his landing was probably near Ballast Point on the east side of Point Loma In 1602 Sebasian Vizcano gave the name of San Diego Bay to its sheltered harbor. The friars in his party very probably celebrated California's first holy mass at Ballast Point near which the Spaniards later built Castillo de Guijarros. Settlement, however, did not materialize until 1769, when Jose de Galvez ordered colonization there. Two ships arrived in April, followed boy two overland expeditions, the first under Fernando de Rivera arriving at San Diego on May 15, and the second under Governor Gaspar de Portola, with Father Junipero Serra, arriving there on July 1, both expeditions driving herds of cattle. Father Serra said mass at the site on the same day before a gathering of 126 persons, Survivors of 310 who had originally set out from Baja California by land and sea too occupy Alta California. After the le deum, Governor Portola ceremoniously took possession of California for Spain