The March of Portola and the Discovery of the Bay of San FranciscoEldredge, Zoeth Skinner
History
The March of Portola and the Discovery of the Bay of San Francisco
Eldredge, Zoeth Skinner
California -- History; California -- History -- To 1846; Portolá's Expedition, Calif., 1769-1770; San Francisco Bay (Calif.)
To the east-northeast of Point San Jose there is a sheltered harbor,
landlocked, with bottom which diminishes gradually to the shore, where
water and some wood are to be found[68]. In this harbor there is no
current, and for that reason, and because it is so near the point I
consider, it one of the best anchorages.
Once Points San Jose and San Carlos have been passed, and taking care to
leave at one side the principal channel, an anchorage can be made at any
place, because it is sheltered from all winds; the only thing to avoid
is the current, which in the principal channel is five miles, and in its
branches three miles.
This report was made to me by Pilot Don Jose Canizares, to whom I
entrusted the examination of the port, because I was seriously sick.
Reconnaissance of the Port of San Francisco, with Map
Report of the Pilot Don Jose de Canizares to Commander Don Juan de Ayala
Translation of a Certified Copy of the Original in the Archives of the
Indies at Seville.
Dear Captain:--During the four times that I made reconnaissance of this
Port, and made its map, I found at the northeast and north-northeast
what is shown on the map and I here describe. To the north-northeast
of Angel Island, distant about a mile, there is a bay running in a
direction north-northwest to south-southwest. The distance between the
points forming said bay, is about two leagues, and the shore line is
about two and a half leagues. To the northwest of the shore there are
three small islands, forming between them and the shore a narrow passage
of shallow water closed to the southwest. This bay is all surrounded
with hills with few trees, which are mostly laurel and oak, but at a
distance to the west-northwest, is visible a wood of what seems to
be pines. In the middle of this bay is standing a high farallon with
submerged rocks around it. On the northeast of it there is sufficient
water for anchorage, as is shown on the map. There is no doubt of its
being good anchorage for vessels, provided they have good cables and
anchors, for they are subject to great stress because of the current,
which at this point, cannot be less than four miles an hour[69].
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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