466 VOYAGE TO THE 



chap, plenish the provisions and stores, and, what was 

 v— y— ' equally important, to recruit the health of the peo- 

 1826. pl e > wno were much debilitated from their priva- 

 tions ; having been a considerable time on short 

 allowance of salt provision, and in the enjoyment 

 of only seven weeks' fresh meat in the last ten 

 months. 



From the favourable account I had heard of 

 Saint Francisco in California, it appeared to be the 

 most desirable place to which a ship under our cir- 

 cumstances could resort ; and as the coast between 

 that port and Cape St. Lucas was very imperfectly 

 known, that the time could not be more usefully 

 employed than in completing the survey of it. I 

 therefore directed our course to that place, and 

 determined to enter the Pacific by the Strait 

 of Oonemak ; which, if not the safest of those 

 formed by the Aleutian Islands, is certainly the best 

 known. 



After passing King's Island on the 16th, we saw 

 some very large flocks of ducks migrating to the 

 southward, and fell in with the lummes, which had 

 deserted us more than a month before at Chamisso 

 Island. As we approached St. Lawrence Island, 

 the little crested auks flew around us, and some 

 land birds took refuge in our rigging. We passed 

 to the eastward of this island in very thick wea- 

 ther, and had only a transient view of its eastern* 

 extremity, and thence pursued a course to the south- 

 ward, passing between Gore's Island and Nunevack, 

 an island recently discovered by the Russians, but 

 not known to us at that time. The soundings 

 increased, though not always regularly ; and we 

 had thick misty weather which prevented any thing 



