In 1769 Gaspar de Portolá led soldiers and Franciscan friars north from San Diego to find the harbour of Monterey, and instead came upon the great bay of San Francisco. Eldredge retells the march from Father Crespí’s diary and adds translated documents: the log of the San Carlos, Ayala’s report on the first ship to enter the bay, and a description of the new port.
A source-rich account of the founding moment of Spanish California. Download the free EPUB.