just as we did, we should inevitably have gone smash upon him, striking him with our stem just about amidships.  He took no notice of us, but passed slowly on, and dived a few yards beyond us, throwing his tail high in the air.  He was so near that we had a perfect view of him, and, as may be supposed, had no desire to see him nearer.  He was a disgusting creature, with a skin rough, hairy, and of an iron-gray color.  This kind differs much from the sperm, in color and skin, and is said to be fiercer.  We saw a few sperm whales; but most of the whales that come upon the coast are fin-backs and hump-backs, which are more difficult to take, and are said not to give oil enough to pay for the trouble.  For this reason, whale-ships do not come upon the coast after them.  Our captain, together with Captain Nye of the Loriotte, who had been in a whale-ship, thought of making an attempt upon one of them with two boats’ crews; but as we had only two harpoons, and no proper lines, they gave it up.

During the months of March, April, and May, these whales appear in great numbers in the open ports of Santa Barbara, San Pedro, &c., and hover off the coast, while a few find their way into the close harbors of San Diego and Monterey.  They are all off again before midsummer, and make their appearance on the ``off-shore ground.’’ We saw some fine ``schools’’ of sperm whales, which are easily distinguished by their spout, blowing away, a few miles to windward, on our passage to San Juan.

Coasting along on the quiet shore of the Pacific, we came to anchor in twenty fathoms’ water, almost out at sea, as it were, and directly abreast of a steep hill which overhung the water, and was twice as high as our royal-mast-head.  We had heard much of this place from the Lagoda’s crew, who said it was the worst place in California.  The shore is rocky, and directly exposed to the southeast, so that vessels are obliged to slip and run for their lives on the first sign of a gale; and late as it was in the season, we got up our slip-rope and gear, though we meant to stay only twenty-four hours.  We pulled the agent ashore, and were ordered to wait for him, while he took a circuitous way round the hill to the Mission, which was hidden behind it.  We were glad of the opportunity to examine this singular place, and hauling the boat up, and making her well fast, took different directions up and down the beach, to explore it.

San Juan is the only romantic spot on the coast.  The country here for several miles is high table-land, running boldly to the shore, and breaking off in a steep cliff, at the foot of which the waters of the Pacific are constantly dashing.  For several miles the water washes the very base of the hill, or breaks upon ledges and fragments of rocks which run out into the sea.  Just where we landed was a small cove, or bight, which gave us, at high tide, a few square feet of sand-beach between the sea and the bottom of the hill.  This was the only landing-place.