BUENAVENTURA, a Spanish settlement and mission
on the coast of New California. Vancouver mentions that the buildings of the mission, the arrangements of the gardens, and the cultivation of the land in the immediate vicinity, are in a style superior to that of any of the settlements in the north. In consequence of the serene weather which prevails here throughout most of the year, the roadstead may be considered as a tolerably good one, and anchorage may be had near the shore. But it is much
exposed to the north-east winds and oceanic swells, which render the communication with the shore very unpleasant. There is a want of rain here, which is rather unfavourable to the raising of European grain; but the soil and climate answer remarkably well for the production of all sorts of fruits appertaining both to the temperate and torrid zones. This settlement was founded in 1782, and contains above 1000 inhabitants. Long. 241. 2. E. Lat. 34. 16. N.