March. 



PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 123 



in procuring a supply of salt provision for her. This 

 was the more opportune, as the meat which had been 

 corned in California was found on examination to be 

 so bad that it was necessary to throw the whole of it *^" 

 overboard. We at first imagined that this failure pro- 

 ceeded from our ignorance of the method of curing 

 the meat, but that which had been prepared at Mon- 

 terey, by a person brought up to the business, was 

 found to be equally bad ; and the failure, in all proba- 

 bility, arose from the heated and feverish state in 

 which the animals were slaughtered. We frequently 

 remonstrated with the governor of San Francisco 

 against being obliged to kill the animals in this state, 

 and begged he would have them penned up until the 

 following day, as they were quite wild, had been 

 harassed with lassos, and dragged many miles by tame 

 bullocks. We did not however succeed, and if the 

 animals were not slaughtered as they were delivered 

 into our charge, they either made their escape, or, as 

 was the case with several, broke their necks in their 

 struggles for freedom. The present supply of provi- 

 sion was consequently of the greatest importance. In 

 addition to this we procured a few other stores, but not 

 sufficient for our purpose, and there were no medi- 

 cines to be had, so that it was still necessary to pro- 

 ceed to China. 



As soon as the ship was ready for sea, therefore, 

 we endeavoured to sail, but the wind about this time 

 blew from the south-west, and kept us imprisoned 

 a fortnight ; the harbour of Honoruru being so diffi- 

 cult of egress, that, unless the wind be fair, or there 

 be a perfect calm, a vessel cannot proceed to sea. On 

 the 4th of March, however, we took our leave of the 

 authorities and residents of the place, from both of 



