TRANSCRIPTION
THE 23RD- First thing in the morning on the 23rd [13 January], I sent a boat off under the command of Midshipman Baudin. It was to examine the bay in which we had anchored the first time that we sighted this island and in which we had not remained because our anchor would not hold. As this bay is on the East side of the island, he was gone for the whole day, and on his return, I was informed that one could obtain a little water there by sinking wells. The men from the boat had collected some in this way and had found muddy ground under the shore, from which they had got some that was reasonably good. I put off until the morrow finding out more definitely what it could be.
Another boat was busy during the day cutting wood and brought us back two loads of it. A third was given to the petty officer to go collecting oysters in the Port des Pélicans *.
By sunset the boats were back. The one sent for water returned with only two tierces, which were the product of the first well. Two more were dug beside it and I am hoping that the three together will supply our needs during this stay. The only pity is that we should have to go an extremely long way to get it.
The petty officer's boat returned laden with oysters, which were distributed amongst the whole crew. It likewise brought back a fairly large number of pelican's eggs and thirty or so of the birds themselves, taken from their nests.
During the night the weather was fine, the sky, as usual, was humid and the winds were absolutely still.
* This is American River.
