Esteban José Martínez: His Voyage in 1779 to Supply Alta California (review)

This bilingual edition of the diary of the 1779 supply voyage to Alta California, produced by the late Vivian C. Fisher, is an excellent addition to published sources dating from Spain’s last decades of settlement in North America. Most sources from Alta California originated with Franciscan missionaries, presidio officers, or civilian governors. This document provides a unique perspective on the California enterprise through the eyes of a naval officer of the Department of San Blas bringing foodstuffs and material goods to the three ports serving the province’s missions and presidios. The immediate value of this book is its presentation of a typical supply voyage at the end of a decade of occupation in this most northern of Spain’s American possessions, before the closing of the land route over the Colorado River in 1781 and after the initial period of settlement.

Two aspects of this publication make it worthy of attention by historians of northern New Spain. First, the text highlights the quotidian imperial concerns of Spanish officials, both in the naval department and in California settlements. Esteban José Martínez, the captain of the frigate Santiago, records navigational data in order to improve knowledge of the maritime route to California. While in each port he tracks the weather, tides, and conditions of the harbor; he notes the settlements cursorily, elaborating communication and supply issues for his superiors. The other recurring theme of the diary is the tenuousness of Spanish presence in Alta California, where qualified sailors were few, settlements were still heavily dependent on the cargoes of the supply vessels, and colonial administration appeared as rudimentary as the physical structures Martínez describes in his notes. The striking dedication of this minor naval officer towards the completion of his duties is underscored in each entry by the uncertainty that attends the voyage.

This book would serve equally as an adjunct text to undergraduate history and language courses. Appendices listing voyages and bills of lading are as useful as the text in explaining the role of mariners in the maintenance of Alta California. Students will also benefit from Fisher’s expert redaction of the original Spanish alongside its readable English translation.