▁of ▁considerable ▁value ▁to ▁modern ▁eth n olog ists . ▁ ▁Russian ▁colon ization ▁of ▁the ▁Amer icas ▁reached ▁its ▁southern most ▁point ▁with ▁the ▁ 1 8 1 2 ▁establishment ▁of ▁Fort ▁Ross ▁( kre post ' ▁rus ), ▁an ▁agricult ural , ▁scientific , ▁and ▁fur - tr ading ▁settlement ▁located ▁in ▁present - day ▁Son oma ▁County , ▁California . ▁In ▁November ▁and ▁December ▁ 1 8 1 8 , ▁several ▁of ▁the ▁miss ions ▁were ▁attacked ▁by ▁H ip ól ito ▁B ouch ard , ▁" Cal iforn ia ' s ▁only ▁pir ate ." ▁A ▁French ▁private er ▁sail ing ▁under ▁the ▁flag ▁of ▁Argentina , ▁Pir ata ▁Buch ar ▁( as ▁B ouch ard ▁was ▁known ▁to ▁the ▁loc als ) ▁worked ▁his ▁way ▁down ▁the ▁California ▁coast , ▁conduct ing ▁ra ids ▁on ▁the ▁install ations ▁at ▁Mon ter ey , ▁Santa ▁Barbara , ▁and ▁San ▁Juan ▁Cap ist rano , ▁with ▁limited ▁success . ▁Upon ▁hearing ▁of ▁the ▁attacks , ▁many ▁mission ▁pri ests ▁( al ong ▁with ▁a ▁few ▁government ▁officials ) ▁sought ▁refuge ▁at ▁Mission ▁Nu estra ▁Se ñ ora ▁de ▁la ▁So led ad , ▁the ▁mission ▁chain ' s ▁most ▁isolated ▁out post . ▁Iron ically , ▁Mission ▁Santa ▁Cruz ▁( though ▁ultimately ▁ignored ▁by ▁the ▁mar aud ers ) ▁was ▁ign omini ously ▁s ack ed ▁and ▁v andal ized ▁by ▁local ▁residents ▁who ▁were ▁entr usted ▁with ▁se cur ing ▁the ▁church ' s ▁valu ables . ▁ ▁By