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.
The situation required Limantour to acquire a new ship because his merchant vessel Ayacucho had become stuck in October 1841 near Point Reyes. Notably, General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, the Commander General of California, did have cattle.