Execution
Once on the ocean, Gale stayed at the helm for approximately 36 hours straight through the fog and rain. He wanted to sail out around 35 miles from the coast and then head south, this due to the ship’s lack of charts. While sailing south the ship nearly hit rocks as they cruised too close to shore in the fog. Then on September 17, 1842, the Star of Oregon and her crew reached San Francisco Bay. They stopped at the Old Presidio and presented their papers to the Mexican officials, who then allowed them to proceed to Yerba Buena.
Once in Yerba Buena, now San Francisco, the passenger Mr. Pfeffenhauser disembarked to continue his journey to find his relative Captain Sutter. There the ship was sold to a Frenchman, Joseph Yves Limantour, in a three way transaction. Limantour was in need of a new vessel since in October 1841, the merchant’s schooner Ayacucho had gone aground near Point Reyes. However, Limantour did not have cattle, but General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, Commander General of California, did have the cattle. Vallejo owned a substantial rancho in Sonoma with plenty of cattle. So in the deal Vallejo received merchandise from Limantour, the Oregonians received 350 head of cattle from Vallejo, and Limantour got the ship. The vessel was then renamed the Jóven Fanita in honor of General Vallejo’s seven year old daughter, Epifania.
However, the Oregon crew did not immediately head back north, as Gale thought it best to wait the winter out and attempt to recruit more people for the overland journey. Kilbourne then dropped out and decided to stay. Meanwhile, Gale sent out several circulars to attempt to recruit more people to settle in Oregon. Once spring came and the crew gathered at Cash Creek there were now a total of 42 people ready to head north to Oregon Country.
This party started north with 1,250 head of cattle, 600 horses and mules, and 3,000 sheep. The journey overland took 75 days, and in mid May 1843, they arrived back in the Willamette Valley of the Oregon Country.
Read more about this topic: Star Of Oregon (event)
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