“On the 8th of January ’42, I left Capt. S’s, in his employ for the Russian settlement. I descended the Sacramento in a launch of 30 tons, into the Bay of St. Francisco. I landed at Sousalita [Sausalito] pronounced Sow sa le ta, on the N. side of the Bay, in full view of the vessels lying at anchor at port St. Francisco. I here took it by land and in 3 days arrived at this place which is about 6 miles from Bodaga [sic], the Russian port, and 60 miles north of Port St. Francisco.” (A Journey to California, 1841: The Journal Account)

After about five weeks at Sutter’s Fort, eating ducks and learning Spanish, John Bidwell set out to take up his new assignment: dismantle Fort Ross. John Sutter had bought Fort Ross from the Russian-American Company the previous summer. John Bidwell would spend the next 14 months there, supervising the transfer of cattle and horses overland, and the shipment of weapons and equipment by boat to Sutter.