In 1839 Eugene Duflot de Mofras was dispatched by the French government to investigate the commercial possibilities (and political and military realities) of the northwest provinces of Mexico and the British, American, and Russian settlements farther north. Along the way he visited most of the California missions. His report was tremendously influential at the time, and remains one of the best portraits of the Pacific coast before the American occupation

California, California Description and travel, Californie Descriptions et voyages, History, Nord-Ouest, Côte (Amérique du Nord), North America Northwest Coast of North America, Northwest Coast of North America, Oregon, Oregon Description and travel, Oregon Descriptions et voyages, Pacific Coast (U.S.) Description and travel, Pacific Coast (U.S.)

"Based on Duflot de Mofras' Exploration du territoire de l'Orégon, des Californies, et de la mer Vermeille, collated with a transcription of his ten original Mémoires, on which the French publication was based ... and further compared with a supplementary holographic manuscript of certain portions dealing with Fort Ross, found in his Mélanges, volume II. Any changes and variations ... have been so indicated in footnotes and in important unpublished sections from the Mélanges arranged to form appendices."--Introduction

"Based on Duflot de Mofras' Exploration du territoire de l'Orégon, des Californies, et de la mer Vermeille, collated with a transcription of his ten original Mémoires, on which the French publication was based ... and further compared with a supplementary holographic manuscript of certain portions dealing with Fort Ross, found in his Mélanges, volume II. Any changes and variations ... have been so indicated in footnotes and in important unpublished sections from the Mélanges arranged to form appendices."--Introduction