136 THE BAY HERBA BUENA. 



ed, as we afterwards heard, on the Sandwich 

 Islands, and at Manilla itself. This hurricane, 

 therefore, raged at the same time over the 

 greatest part of the northern hemisphere ; the 

 causes which produced it may possibly have 

 originated beyond our atmosphere. 



Findinf]^ that our anchoragre would not be 

 secure during the winter, if we should be ex- 

 posed to storms of this kind, we took advantage 

 of the fine weather on the following day, to sail 

 some miles farther eastward, into a little bay 

 surrounded by a romantic landscape, where 

 Vancouver formerly lay, and which is perfectly 

 safe at all seasons : the Spaniards have named 

 this bay Ilerba biiena^ after a sweet-smelling 

 herb which grows on its shores. 



The arrival of Dr. Eschscholtz and the baidars 

 from Ross was still delayed, and I really began 

 to fear that some misfortune had befallen them 

 in the tempest : my joy therefore was extreme, 

 when at last, on the 12th of October, the bai- 

 dars, twenty in number, entered the harbour 

 undamaged, and we received our friend again 

 safe and well. The little flotilla had indeed 

 left Ross before the commencement of the hur- 



