TO CALIFORNIA. 289 



Iwan Strogonof, one of the Russians, wliom I had 

 taken here on board, liad been so much hurt on 

 the chace by his powder-horn taking fire, that he 

 expired in spite of the skill and careful attention 

 of our surgeon. 



November the 1 st. The Rurick was now again 

 (juite in order ; the going of the chronometers had 

 been carefully determined, and all the instruments 

 brought on board. We had been abundantly sup- 

 plied with provisions by the inhabitants ; my crew 

 were all in good health, and, favoured by the tide, 

 and a N. E. wind, we quitted our anchoring-place 

 at nine o'clock, saluted the fortress, and at ten 

 o'clock were out of the bay. When we were two 

 miles out at sea, we could still hear the loud 

 howhngs of the sea-lions, which were lying on the 

 shore on the stones. Sea-otters are found in great 

 numbers on the coast of California, and as they 

 had never been seen there in former times, it 

 is probable they have come from the Aleutian 

 islands, and the northern part of America, to 

 escape the pursuit to which they are there ex- 

 posed. 



After repeated observations on shore, I obtained 

 the following result. 

 Latitude 37° 48' 33" north ; longi- 

 tude, calculated according to 

 the distances of the sun and 

 moon, of which 125 were taken 

 on difl[erent days - - - 1'22° 12' 30" W. 



VOL. I. V 



