Río de Los Temblores

Spanish ships have been sailing along the coast of Alta California for more than two hundred years. Majestic Manila galleons laden with riches from the Orient cruise past regularly, bound for the port of Acapulco. But no Spaniard has ever ventured inland to explore the rugged terrain lying beyond the rocky shoreline. The King of Spain, Carlos III, is concerned about the predations of English pirates and Russian encroachment from the north. He wishes to secure his possessions in America and commissions an expedition to establish an overland route connecting the harbor of San Diego to Monterey Bay. The members of the expedition have no idea what may lie ahead but are determined to carry out their orders despite the hazards to be confronted in the vast, uncharted wilderness of Alta California.