HER MAJESTY'S SHIP SULPHUR. -5 



water of the river and the salt of the ocean ; so that few organized beings select it for a 

 habitation. And in a short time dredging was found so unproductive that it was dis- 

 continued. A party ascended to Fort Vancouver and did not return without obtaining 

 a few things of interest. About the middle of September the vessel sailed for Cali- 

 fornia, visiting the Russian settlement of Bodegas for a few days, and afterwards San 

 Francisco and Monterey. 



From Monterey to Cape San Lucas the coast of California had been scarcely visited 

 for objects connected with science, and though interest had declined from the tedious- 

 ness of a much protracted voyage, it was not without satisfaction that we beheld this 

 new field opening to us. The coast between these two places was rapidly inspected, and 

 the ports of Santa Barbara, San Pedro, San Diego, San Quentin, and San Bartolome, 

 were each examined. A longer period, nearly three weeks, was however devoted to the 

 survey of the extensive Gulf of Magdelena, in 24° 38' N. lat., and we here completed our 

 Californian collections. After leaving the gulf, San Lucas was visited, and the vessel 

 then proceeded to Mazatlan and San Bias. 



On the 21st December we sailed from San Bias, and with the feeling that we were 

 homeward bound, though with a circuitous route, and two-thirds of the circumference of 

 the globe before us. The immediate destination was the Marquesas Islands, and on the 

 20th January, 1840, we arrived at the beautiful bay of Port Anna Maria, in the island of 

 Nuhuhiva. The rocky island of Socorro had received a short visit during the passage. 

 On the 30th instant, the vessel again quitted for Bow Island, in 18° 6' S. lat., one of the 

 Pomoutou group. The object here, the island being formed entirely of coral, was to 

 examine its substructure ; and whilst this laborious operation was in progress, the 

 naturalists were left to examine the surface of the island and the lagoon. The land pro- 

 duced little, but the water was more prolific. It was frequently observed that the 

 organized beings were influenced in some respect by the all-pervading coral, though often 

 not in a manner that was very tangible. Fish abounded in great numbers within the 

 quiet waters of the Lagoon, many of which were captured and preserved. Very fre- 

 quently they might be seen in close attack on the branches of the coral, and the ali- 

 mentary canal was usually found loaded with finely triturated coral. On the 28th March 

 we were again on the open sea with the Society Islands in anticipation. 



We were now about to traverse the South Pacific. On the 5th April, the Sulphur 

 anchored at Tahiti, and quitted it again on the 8th May. The Island of Raratonga 

 was next visited. Thence the vessel proceeded to Vavao, one of the northern islands of 



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