The March of Portola and the Discovery of the Bay of San Francisco

A narrative assembled from translated logs and original documents that traces a late eighteenth-century coastal and overland expedition in California, detailing maritime reconnaissance, inland scouting, and the gradual recognition of a wide estuary. The account describes campsite movements, interactions with indigenous communities, supply and navigation difficulties, and efforts to locate suitable harbors while coordinating with supply vessels. Annotations, maps, and footnotes accompany the primary documents to clarify routes, place-names, and the expedition’s logistical and environmental challenges.