398 APPENDIX. 



parallel, a S.S.W. wind brought thick rainy weather with 

 squalls, which was cleared away by a northerly breeze in lati- 

 tude 340 N. We had now light winds and clear weather, but 

 from the 39th parallel to the day of making the land of Kam- 

 schatka, with the exception of one day in latitude 50o N., we 

 were attended by a thick fog and drizzling rain. 



On comparing the route of the Blossom with those of Cap- 

 tains Gierke and Krusenstern, who quitted the Sandwich 

 Islands for St. Peter and St. Paul's, and both of whom, as 

 well as myself, endeavoured to run down the longitude until 

 sufficiently far to the westward to reach the place of destina- 

 tion without inconvenience from westerly winds, it appears 

 that a preference is due to the course pursued by the Blossom. 

 As the three tracks from the parallel of 33o or 34° N. and 

 long. I660 or I680 E. nearly coincided, I shall divide the pas- 

 sage into two parts ; the first from the Sandwich Islands to 

 that situation, and the second from thence to the day of mak- 

 insr the land of A.watska.* 



Captain Clerke ran down his longitude near the northern 

 tropic, lost the trade-wind in lat. 28o N., and long. 172° E., 

 on the twenty-first day of his departure, and reached the 

 above situation on the twenty-sixth day. 



Krusenstern kept to the southward of 20" N., lost the trade 

 in 270 N. and about 176o E. on the seventeenth day, and 

 reached the above place on the twenty-second day. 



The Blossom kept to the northward of 30°, lost the trade 

 in 30o N. and 175^ E. on the tenth day of her departure, and 

 was in the above-mentioned situation on the thirteenth day. 



From this situation to the second point or the day of ar- 

 rival off Awatska, it is remarkable that the three passages are 

 nearly of the same duration, that of Captain Clerke occupying 

 thirteen days; of Krusenstern thirteen; and of the Blossom 

 thirteen and a half. By which it is evident that the advan- 

 tage was gained by the Blossom in the first part of the pas- 

 sage, and this was not confined to time alone, but extended 



* I limit the passages to the time of making the land, as Captain 

 Clerke was five days oiT the port. 



