, ▁with ▁ 1 1 ▁villages ▁on ▁Santa ▁Cruz . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 6 0 2 , ▁Sebast i án ▁V iz ca í no ▁led ▁the ▁last ▁Spanish ▁expedition ▁to ▁California . ▁His ▁map ▁named ▁Santa ▁Cruz ▁Island ▁the ▁Is la ▁de ▁G ente ▁Barb uda ▁( is land ▁of ▁the ▁be arded ▁people ). ▁Between ▁ 1 6 0 2 ▁and ▁ 1 7 6 9 ▁there ▁was ▁no ▁recorded ▁European ▁contact ▁with ▁the ▁island . ▁Finally , ▁in ▁ 1 7 6 9 , ▁the ▁land - and - se a ▁expedition ▁of ▁Don ▁Gas par ▁de ▁Port ol à ▁reached ▁Santa ▁Cruz ▁Island . ▁Tra vel ing ▁with ▁him ▁were ▁Father ▁Juan ▁González ▁V iz ca í no ▁and ▁Father ▁Francisco ▁Pal ó u . ▁Father ▁Pal ó u ▁wrote ▁of ▁Father ▁V iz ca í no ' s ▁visit ▁to ▁the ▁Santa ▁Cruz ▁village ▁of ▁X ax as ▁that ▁the ▁mission aries ▁on ▁ship ▁went ▁ash ore ▁and ▁" they ▁were ▁well ▁received ▁by ▁the ▁he ath en ▁and ▁presented ▁with ▁fish , ▁in ▁return ▁for ▁which ▁the ▁Indians ▁were ▁given ▁some ▁strings ▁of ▁be ads ." ▁The ▁island ▁was ▁considered ▁for ▁establishment ▁of ▁a ▁Catholic ▁mission ▁to ▁serve ▁the ▁large ▁Ch um ash ▁population . ▁When ▁Mission ▁San ▁Buen av ent ura ▁was ▁founded ▁across ▁the ▁channel ▁in ▁ 1 7 8 2 , ▁it ▁comm enced ▁the ▁slow ▁religious ▁conversion ▁of ▁the ▁Santa ▁Cruz ▁Ch um ash . ▁Bes et ▁by ▁dise ases ▁such ▁as