This passage was unusually bad, it being nearly a week before we reached Gaspar Straits, an ordinary run of one day: in the south part of the China sea the south-west monsoon was very light. An American brig, which sailed only one day before us from Anjier Point, carried the breeze along with her, and reached Macao twelve days before us.
* * * * *
4.
[Sidenote: Ladrone Islands to the Yellow Sea, 520 leagues.]
Sailed from the Ladrone Islands off Macao, on the 13th July 1816.
Rounded the promontory of Shantung and entered the
Yellow Sea, 25th July 12 days.
From thence to the anchorage off the Pei-ho
or Pekin River, 27th July 2
—-
Macao to Pekin River, in 2 weeks, or 14 days.
This voyage can be compared only with that of the Lion on the occasion of the former embassy. The Lion was nearly three weeks, exclusive of the time at anchor at Chusan. We had fine weather and steady south-west winds, with very heavy dews at night. When nearly abreast of the south point of Corea, the wind became variable from the south-east and southward. In the Yellow Sea we had easterly winds and no fogs.
* * * * *
5.
[Sidenote: Pei-ho to Oei-hai-oei in the Yellow Sea, 90 leagues.]