Excellent wood and water may be procured from the authorities of the town; or, if preferred, water can be easily obtained from Kamida creek, which enters the harbor to the northward and eastward of the town.
The season, at the time of our visit, was unfavorable for procuring supplies; a few sweet and Irish potatoes, eggs, and fowls, however, were obtained, and these articles, at a more favorable period of the year, will no doubt be furnished in sufficient quantities to supply any vessels that may in future visit the port.
Our seine supplied us with fine salmon and a quantity of other fish, and the shores of the bay abound with excellent shellfish.
During our stay in this harbor, from the 17th May to 3d June, the weather was generally pleasant until the 1st June, when the fog set in. It was usually calm in the morning, but toward the middle of the day a brisk breeze from S. W. sprung up.
| Latitude, mouth of Kamida creek | 41° 49′ 22″ N. | |
| Longitude, | ” | 140° 47′ 45″ E. |
| Variation | 4° 30′ W. | |
| High Water, F. and C | 5 hours. | |
| Extreme rise and fall of tide | 3 feet. | |
Our chronometers were rated at Napa Kiang, Loo-Choo, from the position of that place as given by Captain Beechy, R. N.
THE CURRENCY QUESTION.
[In the text is given an account of the negotiations relative to the comparative value of the American and Japanese coin. It is thought as well to give the report of the pursers appointed to arrange the question, which will be found below.]
United States Steam-Frigate Powhatan,
Simoda, June 15, 1854.