[17] Although the first three days of the journey concern San Francisco Bay rather than the Central Valley, it seems preferable to present a translation of the whole diary. To attempt to segregate those entries pertaining solely to the delta area would save but little space and would destroy the continuity of the narrative. [18] The body of water south of Pts. San Pablo and San Pedro and generally north and northeast of Angel I. [19] The distance, that is, will be about twice that across the Golden Gate. [20] Pt. Pinole. [21] "Tierra firme de San José." This expression referred by convention to the entire East Bay area, including the Coast Ranges from Carquinez Strait and Suisun Bay south to Santa Clara and Stanislaus counties. [22] It is clear from this statement that Abella considered 8 hours' rowing time as equivalent to 8 leagues. A league on land was usually measured in practice by an hour on foot or horseback, and this system was based upon the usual steady progress of a horse or man throughout a day. Oarsmen in still water, and with moderate effort, could approximate the same rate. But here the boats traveled with or against tidal and stream currents, subject to drift in the winds, or traversed the sloughs, where movement might or might not be restricted. From these considerations it follows that the transposition directly of hours of travel into leagues of distance has no meaning whatever. Indeed, when the narrative states leagues, the expression should be interpreted as hours. In the present instance the distance from the Embarcadero in San Francisco to Angel I., to Pt. San Pablo, to the entrance of Carquinez Strait, assuming straight-line navigation, is about 24 mi. This means 3 mi., or slightly less per league, according to Abella's calculation, somewhat in excess of the usual value for the league, of 2.6 mi. But Abella states that he waited for the incoming tide, which of course would have increased his speed with reference to the shore. Hence his leagues here are long. [23] Mare I., on the north side of the channel. [24] This sentence reads: "la contra costa es la tierra de San José del Estrecho Yamado de los Carquinez es tierra muy Pelada." To render it "the opposite shore is the mainland of San José" makes no sense since the party stopped on the south side and the north side is bare of trees.