HOMEWARD BOUND. 63' 



destruction of the Chinese fleet, and the passing of the 

 forts in the Min River, by the French squadron under 

 Vice-Admiral Courbet. 



On the 9th of July, 1885, while in Min River, 

 China, where we had been for the third time during the 

 cruise, the long-expected orders to proceed home were 

 received. Upon being relieved by another United 

 States vessel, the Enterprise was to proceed to New 

 York via Australia, run a line of soundings between 

 Wellington, New Zealand, and Cape Horn, and be- 

 tween Montevideo and the United States. The choice 

 of route to Australia and New Zealand, as well as the 

 parallel of latitude on which to run the soundings in the 

 South Pacific, were left to my discretion. 



Upon the arrival of the Palos I took from 

 her a sounding reel and a quantity of spare wire, 

 and on the 20th of July left Min River, arriving on 

 the 24th at Hong Kong, having touched at Amoy on 

 the way. 



We filled up with coal and provisions and sailed 

 from Hong Kong on the 24th of July with a homeward- 

 bound pennant, 365 feet long, streaming from the main- 

 truck. It was the season of the S.W. monsoons, and 

 the weather at the start was very thick. Expecting to 

 encounter head-winds on the passage, we housed top- 

 masts as soon as clear of land, sent down topsail yards, 

 and landed the lower yards on the rail. For much the 

 greater part of the way the wind and currents were 

 against us, but on the loth of August we reached 



