Dominguez and Escalante in search of the “Bearded Utes” of Teguayo (Part 2), or the sacred expeditions to counter Russian expansionism in California

In a frenzy after learning of Sir Francis Drake’s 1579 circumnavigation of the globe, the Spanish Crown commissioned Sebastian Vizcaino to reexplore the Pacific coast from Mexico northwards. Upon returning to Mexico, Vizcaino recommended Monterey Bay as the prime choice for Spanish settlement in “Alta California”, having missed the entrance to San Francisco Bay entirely. Vizcaino’s recommendation …