shores of California, nintey miles north of San Francisco. Drawn to the area by its abundant sea otter, these new residents made a home here, raising wheat to send to their starving Alaskan colonies and trading with the Spanish to the south. After thirty years, the elements and a general antipathy toward farming--by men who considered themselves hunters--doomed their agricultural efforts, and over-hunting of sea otters eventually killed off the ''Fur Rush.'' The abandonment of Fort Ross by the Russians in 1841 brought and end to one of the most fascinating stories in all of California's history.By presenting historical documents and first-hand accounts--many recently discovered in Russian naval archives and translated for the first time into English--this long-awaited reader introduces us to a unique and provocative period. Comprised of a vibrant mix of journal entries, excerpts from novels, government documents, personal correspondence, and cartoons, this collection abounds in remarkable experiences that provide fresh insight into California before the Gold Rush. Fort Ross--a former Kashaya Indian village bought for the price of three blankets, three pairs of breeches, two axes, three hoes, and some beads --celebrates its bicentennial this year, and So Far from Homepeers into its world, of settlement, trade, cultural interaction, and a hint at a California that could have been.

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