5^91 



CHAP. X. 



FROM THE COAST OF CAL-IFORNIA TO THE SAND- 

 WICH ISLANDS. 



November the 11th: latitude 25° 5' 55" -, longi- 

 tilde 138" 1' 16' . A favourable wind from N.N. W. 

 and N. E., which had hitherto accompanied us, 

 left us in the preceding night. Violent gusts 

 from the S.W. continued, united with rain, and the 

 sky totally covered. At eight o'clock in the even- 

 ing, when it was already quite dark, we observed 

 the sky, in the zenith, for fifteen seconds, so strongly 

 illuminated, that objects on the quaiter-deek were 

 as distinguishable as by day -light. 



On the 13th, we were already in latitude 23° 

 46', without having yet met with the monsoon ; on 

 the contrary, the S.W. wind was still more constant, 

 and at last so violent, that we w^ere obliged to take 

 in a couple of reefs. A constant S.W. wind at this 

 distance from the land, between the tropics, is a 

 phenomenon quite new to me, which is worthy of 

 notice. 



The I6th : latitude 22° 34' ; longitude 140° 25'. 

 At last, after a calm, a wind arose from the N.E., 

 and we had the trade-wind, which we had so long 

 expected j a change which was probably caused by 



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