PASSAGES. 



83 



The quantities of villella that we met with exceeds belief. The 

 sea was literally covered with them, having the appearance of a 

 vast sheet of water spread over with cinders. What seems remarka- 

 ble, the position of these zoophytes has not changed since they were 

 met by Vancouver fifty years before. This seems to me to offer a 

 strong proof that, having been brought by currents from the north 

 and deposited here, they are retained by the absence of all current 

 within these limits. There was no perceptible current experienced 

 as we crossed this space of ocean; but to the northward of it, we ex- 

 perienced a very strong one, setting to the southeast some 35 miles 

 a day, from 150 to 700 miles from the coast. The temperature of the 

 water, also, indicated a southerly current. 



Notwithstanding the detention we met with in passing through the 

 calm latitudes, we made the passage in 22 days to the mouth of the 

 Columbia River, which was unusually short. It is well here to state 

 that the southeast wind is not to be regarded as the regular one of 

 this coast, — seldom blowing except during the winter and spring 

 months. The southerly currents experienced by the Vincennes (as 

 shown on the Pacific Chart), on approaching the coast at this season 

 of the year, may be expected, and no doubt prevail during the other 

 spring months with equal force. 



The Peacock made the passage in June and July. She did not get 

 through the calms until reaching latitude 33° north, in longitude 157° 

 west. The winds afterwards were from the east, and carried her to 

 the latitude of 44° north before she was enabled to make easting ; 

 then she encountered the prevalent winds from the west and south- 

 west. Instead of the current which the Vincennes experienced, it 

 was found to set in an opposite direction, though not strong. Her 

 passage was made in 27 days, although the route was farther to the 

 westward than that of the Vincennes. The villella were met with 

 in latitude 40° north, longitude 157° west, and were lost sight of 

 in latitude 43° north, longitude 155° west. The limits of this mol- 

 lusca may therefore be said to extend nearly through 18° of longitude 

 on the latitude of 40° north, and to cover a space equal to 800 

 miles in length and 180 miles in width. 



From these two passages, it would appear that very different routes 

 are to be pursued at different seasons. In the spring, the winds will 

 be found, after having passed beyond the calms, more from the south- 

 east than in summer ; consequently, vessels should hold more to the 



