PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 5 



tends beyond Cape Mendocino. El Sacramento 

 trends to the N. E., and is said to have its rise in the 

 rocky mountains near the source of the Columbia. 

 The other, San Joachin, stretches to the southward, 

 through the country of the Bolbones, and is divided 

 from the S. E. arm of the harbour by a range of 

 mountains. 



When Langsdorff was at this port, an expedition 

 was undertaken by Don Louis Arguello and Padre 

 Uria to make converts, and to inquire into the nature 

 of the country in the vicinity of the Sierra nevada ; 

 and I learned from Don Louis, I believe a son of the 

 commander, that they traced the Sacramento seventy 

 or eighty leagues up, and that it was there very wide 

 and deep, but that he had no boat to ascertain its 

 depth. The Padre had it in contemplation to form a 

 settlement in that direction, which he thought would 

 become very rich in a short time by the number of 

 Indians who would flock to it ; but as it was never 

 done, I presume he found material obstacles to his 

 desig-n. 



As we opened out the several islands and stopping 

 places in the harbour, we noticed seven American 

 whalers at anchor at Sausalito, not one of which 

 showed their colours ; we passed them and anchored 

 off a small bay named Yerba Buena, from the luxuri- 

 ance of its vegetation, about a league distant from 

 both the presidio and the mission of San Francisco. 

 I immediately went on shore to pay my respects to 

 Don. Ignacio Martinez, a lieutenant in the Mexican 

 army, acting governor in the absence of Don Louis, 

 and to the priest, whose name was Tomaso, both of 

 whom gave me a very hospitable and friendly recep- 

 tion, and offered their services in any way they might 



