<P> On the shore of La Paz on January 9, 1769, friar Junípero Serra blessed the flagship San Carlos and its chaplain, friar Fernando Parrón . José de Gálvez, addressing the men waiting to board, declared their final destination as Monterey, their mission to plant the holy cross among the Indians . Then friar Parrón boarded the San Carlos along with captain Vicente Vila, lieutenant of the royal navy--followed by lieutenant Pedro Fages with his 25 Catalan volunteers; cartographer Miguel Costansó, who made maps and drawings to describe the journey; surgeon Pedro Prat; and a crew of 23 sailors, plus two blacksmiths, two boys, four cooks, and mate Jorge Estorace--62 in all . Weighing anchor, the San Carlos headed south down the Gulf of California, to round Cabo San Lucas and then head north along the Pacific coast . </P> <P> On February 15, Gálvez dispatched the San Antonio, captained by Juan Pérez, from Cabo San Lucas; Franciscan friars Juan Vizcaíno and Francisco Gómez served as chaplains . With sailors plus cooks, carpenters and blacksmiths, the San Antonio carried a total of around 30 men . These ships left ahead of the land groups . The San Carlos and San Antonio were followed by an additional supply ship, the San José . The San José--named after the patron saint of the Portolá expedition, Saint Joseph--never reached San Diego and was presumed lost at sea . </P> <P> Captain Fernando Rivera, moving north through Baja California, gathered horses and mules from the fragile chain of Catholic missions to supply his overland expedition . José de Gálvez had ordered Rivera to requisition horses and mules from the missions without endangering their survival and give the friars receipts for the number of animals taken; those missions would later get restocked with animals brought over from the Mexican mainland . Friar Juan Crespí, selected as chaplain for the Rivera party and diarist for the Franciscan missionaries, traveled 24 days from Mission La Purísima, 400 miles (640 km) north to Velicatá (near the current town of Ramona), then the northern frontier of Spanish settlement in Baja California . There Crespí met up with the Rivera party, which set out from Velicatá on March 24 . Their mule and horse train, tended by three muleteers, carried 25 leather - jacket soldiers and 42 Baja California Christian Indians (all men). </P> <P> Portolá himself led the second group, which set out from Loreto on March 9 . Junípero Serra, assigned by José de Gálvez to head the Franciscan missionary team into Alta California, joined the Portolá party as chaplain and diarist . But the 55 - year - old Serra suffered a chronic infection of his left foot and leg, which Portolá believed had now become cancerous . He tried to dissuade Serra from joining the expedition . But Serra refused to withdraw: He told Portolá to go ahead, saying he would follow and meet up with Portolá on the frontier . Meanwhile, Serra assigned friar Miguel de la Campa from mission San Ignacio to join the Portolá party . The party, driving a supply train and food animals, included 25 leather - jacket soldiers under sergeant José Francisco Ortega; muleteers; artisans; and 44 Christian Indians from Baja California, acting as servants and interpreters to communicate with Indians along the way . This group traveled slower than the Rivera party . Serra, trekking much of the way on a broken - down mule, finally caught up with Portolá, friar De la Campa and other members of their party on May 5, just south of Velicatá . Following the trail blazed by the Rivera party, and less burdened by livestock, the Portolá party moved somewhat faster . Even so, they had an arduous trek over deserts and through ravines . </P>

Who led the first overland expedition to san diego