PASSAGES. 



out : the former stood to the northward, on the meridian of 1 78°, with 

 the southeast trades, which were carried to the latitude of 8° south, 

 when the wind hauled to east-northeast, with a long swell from the 

 northward and eastward. The wind had been previously found 

 to veer several points to the northward toward night, and generally 

 continued until morning, when it would veer to the southward again. 

 This obliged us to make northing too fast. On the wind's hauling 

 more to the southward, I determined to make easting, instead of 

 running with the wind free to the north. The winds were very 

 light. On the seventh day out, we made an island, which we sup- 

 posed to be the Kemiss or Gardener's Island of former navigators, 

 and passed the day on it making observations. Here we found the 

 flood setting strong to the northward, and the rise of the tide was 3z 

 feet, which nearly overflows the island. The next day we discovered 

 McKean's Island, in nearly the same longitude, but a degree north 

 of Kemiss. The winds were quite light, with some rain, which was 

 succeeded by dark, cloudy weather, and showers, with light breezes 

 from the westward. Under these circumstances, I steered to the 

 eastward, for the Phoenix Group. After copious rains (5-2 inches), 

 the weather cleared up ; the wind returned again to its old quarter, 

 northeast. We had heavy rolling seas from the southward, and 

 a current of half a mile, setting south i west. 



We passed 10 days in examining the Phoenix Group : three of 

 the five islands of which it is composed were surveyed. They are 

 situated between latitude 5° south and the equator ; and between 

 longitudes 168° and 173° west. 



The winds were very variable, as well as the weather, and the cur- 

 rents vacillating : some days equal to 30 miles to the west, again to 

 the southwest, and then none at all. It was not until the 4th of 

 September that we crossed the equator, in longitude 168° west. The 

 day before crossing, the weather was delightful, with a strong breeze 

 from the east ; we then stood to the northward, keeping the ship a 

 good full by the wind, which now veered from southeast to east- 

 southeast, with occasional squalls and rain. This weather continued 

 until we entered the northeast trades, between the latitudes of 9° and 

 10° north. We were from this lime, 11th of September, until the 

 19th, beating up for the Hawaiian Islands, taking every advantage 

 of the variation of wind to make the most easting, when we made the 

 Island of Kauai, and two days aftewards anchored off the town 



