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the sandy shore opposite the "presidio." Sometimes it did not
permit us to land on it and cast up the rowboats on shore.
Thus filling up our casks with water by means of these boats
was, if not completely impossible, at least very difficult
and slow. To avoid this inconvenience, our captians ordered
us to bulid a breakwater of large rocks extending about two
sazhens from shore at low tide, but despite the fact that the
breakwater was built of large rocks, it was washed away at
least twice to its foundation.

On November 12, we went ashore to make a visit to the local
commandant. There we learned that the guards of the fortress
had reported the arrival of another incoming Russian naval
vessel. Supposing that it was the "Discovery," we hurried
back, and had not yet left the shore when it had indeed entered
the bay. It dropped anchor next to our sloop. We found out
from our comrades that, after separating from us, they kept
more to the S while we continued a direct course toward the
SSE, for which reason we arrived before they did. Having
moored and saluted the flag at the fort, Captain Vasilev went
ashore. On the next day we were moved to the "presidio"
where the commandant alloctaed a room to us. We took with
us all the astronomical instruments and chronometers to set
up an observatory in this room.

The main purpose of our trip to California was to pro-
vide badly needed stores of sea biscuits, of hwich we had
very little left, and at that, almost unfit for use. All