636 
APPENDIX. 
fair three days. On the thirteenth day (June 15th), in lat. 33° N., long. 192“ W., it shifted 
suddenly to N. W. by W. I was now near the situation I had been desirous of reaching, and 
ready for this wind, but it did not continue ; and for five days we were retarded by light 
winds from all points of the compass, except that quarter. On the 20th June we had a 
N. E. wind again, w'hich veered to E., S. E., S., and on the 5th day to W. S. W., when it left 
us in 46° N. and 199° W. An easterly wind succeeded, but, before the twenty-four hours 
were expired, veered round by S. to W., which, with the exception of a few hours N. N. E. 
wind, carried us close off the light-house of Awatska Bay on the 28th June. 
The weather during this time had been moderate ; it had scarcely been necessary to take 
in top-gallant sails the whole period. It will be seen that, with the exception of three days, 
we had a leading wind the whole of the way, and that our greatest delay was occasioned by 
light winds about the parallels of 34° and 35° N. The trade-wind may be said to have at- 
tended us as far as 30“ N. and 185° W. About the 30th parallel, a S. S. W. wind brought thick 
rainy weather with squalls, which was cleared away by a northerly breeze in latitude 34° N. 
We had now light winds and clear weather, but from the 39th parallel to the day of making 
the land of Kamschatka, with the exception of one day in latitude 50° N., we were attended 
by a thick fog and drizzling rain. 
On comparing the route of the Blossom with those of Captains Clerke and Krusenstern, 
who quitted the Sandwich Islands for St. Peter and St. Paul’s, and both of whom, as well 
as myself, endeavoured to run down the longitude until sufficiently far to the westward to 
reach the place of destination without inconvenience from westerly winds, it appears that a 
preference is due to the course pursued by the Blossom. As the three tracks from the parallel 
of 33° or 34° N. and long. 166° or 168° E. nearly coincided, I shall divide the passage into 
two parts; the first from the Sandwich Islands to that situation, and the second from thence to 
the day of making the land of Awatska *. 
Captain Clerke ran down his longitude near the northern tropic, lost the trade-wind in 
lat. 28° N., and long. 172° E., on the twenty-first day of his departure, and reached the above 
situation on the twenty-sixth day. 
Krusenstern kept to the southward of 20° N., lost the trade in 27° N. and about 176° E. 
on the seventeenth day, and reached the above place on the twenty-second day. 
The Blossom kept to the northward of 30°, lost the trade in 30° N. and 175° E. on the 
tenth day of her departure, and was in the above-mentioned situation on the thirteenth day. 
From this situation to the second point or the day of arrival off Awatska, it is remarkable 
that the three passages are nearly of the same duration, that of Captain Clerke occupying 
thirteen days ; of Krusenstern thirteen ; and of the Blossom thirteen and a half. By which it 
is evident that the advantage was gained by the Blossom in the first part of the passage, but 
extended to personal comfort, and this was not confined to time alone, as the Blossom escaped 
the heat of a tropical climate, of which Captain King complains so much, and on the whole 
had better weather. 
The currents on the first part of this passage were very irregular, varying their direction 
from N. N. E. to W. N. W. ; the preponderance being in the latter direction, and in one day 
* I limit the passages to the time of making the land, as Captain Clerke was five days off tire port. 
