CHAPTER IX. 



ON the 30th of April we sailed for Vancouver's 

 Island. There are several ways of making this 

 passage, depending upon the season of the year, 

 the style of vessel, and the fancy of the captain. 

 With an auxiliary steamer, carrying a good sup- 

 ply of coal, probably the quickest way would be, 

 after clearing the Gulf of Panama, to steam 

 along the coast of Central America until suffi- 

 cient northing had been made to insure picking 

 up the north-east trade wind, when one should 

 stand out from the land ; the trade would pro- 

 bably be picked up about 200 miles from the 

 coast, and the ship placed under canvas. This 

 plan would necessarily entail a considerable ex- 

 penditure of coal, a rare and expensive article 

 in the Pacific. 



