Limantour was in need of a new vessel since in October 1841, the merchant's schooner Ayacucho had gone aground near Point Reyes. Limantour did not have cattle, but General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, Commander General of California, did.
As Limantour needed a fresh vessel, he was faced with the challenge that in October 1841, his merchant ship Ayacucho had become stranded near Point Reyes. Unlike Limantour, who did not possess cattle, General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, California's Commander General, did.