n took on board our
pilot Marco, and a soldier from the Presidio, who offered to accompany
us. On the 18th of November the weather was favourable, and we set out
with a barcasse and a shallop, both well manned and provided with every
necessary, in company with the Aleutian flotilla. At first we took the
same course I have before described, towards the mission of St. Gabriel;
cutting through the waters of the southern basin, and working our way
between the islands into the northern portion of the bay; then adopting
an easterly course, so that St. Gabriel remained at a considerable
distance to the left in the north-east. We reached towards noon, at a
distance of thirty miles from our ship, the common mouth of the two
before-mentioned rivers, which here fall into the bay.

The breadth of this embouchure is a mile and a half, and the banks on
both sides are high, steep, and little wooded. It is crossed by a
shallow, not above two or three feet deep; but on its east side the
channel will admit ships of a middling size fully laden. The current was
so strong against us, that it was with much exertion our rowers
accomplished crossing the shallow. We landed on the left bank in order
to determine the geographical position of the mouth, and found the
latitude 38 deg. 2' 4", and the longitude 122 deg. 4'. After finishing
this task, I ascended the highest hillock on the shore, which consisted of
strata of slate and quartz, to admire the beauty of the prospect. On the
south lay the enviable and important Bay of St. Francisco with its many
islands and creeks; to the north flowed the broad beautiful river formed
by the junction of the two, sometimes winding between high, steep
rocks, sometimes gliding among smiling meadows, where numerous herds of
deer were grazing. In every direction the landscape was charming and
luxuriant. Our Aleutians here straggled about in their little baidars,
and pursued the game with which land and water were stocked: they had
never seen it in such plenty; and being passionately fond of the chase,
they fired away without ceasing, and even brought down some of the game
with a javelin. The Aleutians are as much at home in their little
leathern canoes, as our Cossacks on horseback. They follow their prey
with the greatest rapidity in all directions, and it seldom escapes
them. White and grey pelicans about twice the size of our geese were
here in great numbers. An Aleutian followed a flock of these birds, and
ki