Baron Ferdinand Petrovich von Wrangell conducted DON GUILLERMO HARTNELL ‘on a comprehensive tour of the whole of the establishment’ of the Russian American Fir Company at ‘always…beautiful’ Fort Ross

+++  ’I have been informed that you, worthy sir, intend visiting the Russian settlement Ross in the course of the summer and therefor I take this opportunity with special pleasure to inform you of my arrival here, and propose that you grant me the pleasure of welcoming such a dear guest in this solitary region.  ++  ’As you probably will pass San Francisco, I take the liberty of asking you to find out sometime if it would be possible to send a Russian company ship now to San Francisco without having to pay the usual harbor fee as the boat carries no goods and only has to load salted meat and salt. . . . . You would do a great favor to the Company if you could obtain a permit from the California government.  ++  ’Besides this I ask you for 14,000 pounds of English salt which our ship could collect from San Francisco to bring to Bodega, or even part of this quantity.  In case His Excellency the Governor is staying in your neighbourhood at the moment I beg you to assure him at a suitable time of my sincere esteem for his complete and distinguished personal dignity. . . . . I shall seize the first opportunity with true pleasure. . . . to send my written respects to him.  ++  ’As I only arrived today and am in a hurry to send off the messenger to you and as I hope at the same time to welcome you soon here, I shall be brief.’  ++  On August 3, Don Guillermo announced to his father-in-law that he was off next day to Fort Ross, by special invitation to visit ‘el Baron Wrangell, Gobernador de las Colonias Russo-Americanas.’ ++  Always Ross was beautiful, in site and construction, but for the visit of the Governor special decorations and preparations had been made.  The Baron received the friend of Russia with old-world courtesy, and conducted Hartnell on a comprehensive tour of the whole establishment.  Near the anchorage were a few buildings for customs officials, pilots, and others with business at the water’s edge.  Here also the Englishman saw huge warehouses bursting with produce and naval stores.  Still on beach level, a little way along a stream, were workshops for ship and house carpenters, blacksmiths, and coopers.  An ascent of one hundred sixteen steps straight up the bluff led to the fort itself.  The situation was strategic, the view breathtaking.  +++