ave, as the geographical longitude of New Archangel, 135 deg.
33' 18", and the latitude as 57 deg. 2' 57"; the declination of the
needle as 27 deg. 30' east. According to this, the promontory of Mount
Edgecumbe is in the longitude 136 deg. 1' 49"; consequently about 20'
more westerly than appears on Vancouver's map.

We found a similar difference between our observation of St. Francisco
and his; I therefore believe that his whole survey of the north-west
coast of America represents it more easterly than it really is. Our
longitudes have the greater claim to confidence, as they were the
results of repeated observations on land, while his were merely taken on
shipboard _en passant_.

The medium of our observations at New Archangel upon the difference in
high tides at the new and full moon, gave thirty minutes for the time,
and sixteen feet for the greatest difference in the height of the
water.

CALIFORNIA,

AND THE RUSSIAN SETTLEMENT OF

ROSS.

CALIFORNIA, AND THE RUSSIAN SETTLEMENT OF ROSS.

I have already mentioned, in the foregoing chapter, that I was allowed
to pass the winter of 1824 in California and the Sandwich Islands.
Captain Lasaref also, whom I relieved on the station, proposed to run
into St. Francisco on the coast of California, on his return, in order
there to lay in fresh provisions for his passage round Cape Horn. He
first awaited, however, the arrival of the post from St. Petersburg,
which passes between these distant points of our far-spreading monarchy
only once in the year, arriving in the spring at Ochotsk by the way of
Siberia, and reaching New Archangel in the autumn by sea.

It was on the 10th of September 1824, that after having made the
necessary preparations for our subsequent residence in New Archangel,
and having properly equipped the ship, we again put to sea, and a brisk
north wind soon carried us in a southerly direction towards the fertile
peninsula of California. Our voyage was safe, and varied by no
remarkable occurrence, except that under forty degrees of latitude we
were indulged with the spectacle of a most extraordinary struggle
between two opposing winds.

After a few days' pretty fresh breezes from the south, clouds suddenly
appeared in the north, and, by the motion of the water, we perceived
that an equally strong wind was rising in that direction. The waves from
the opposite regions foamed and raged against each other like hostile
forces; but between t