Friday, April 15th.  Arrived, brig Pilgrim, from the windward.  It was a sad sight for her crew to see us getting ready to go off the coast, while they, who had been longer on the coast than the Alert, were condemned to another year’s hard service.  I spent an evening on board, and found them making the best of the matter, and determined to rough it out as they might.  But Stimson, after considerable negotiating and working, had succeeded in persuading my English friend, Tom Harris,—­ my companion in the anchor watch,—­ for thirty dollars, some clothes, and an intimation from Captain Faucon that he should want a second mate before the voyage was over, to take his place in the brig as soon as she was ready to go up to windward.

The first opportunity I could get to speak to Captain Faucon, I asked him to step up to the oven and look at Hope, whom he knew well, having had him on board his vessel.  He went to see him at once, and said that he was doing pretty well, but there was so little medicine on board the brig, and she would be so long on the coast, that he could spare none for him, but that Captain Arthur would take care of him when he came down in the California, which would be in a week or more.  I had been to see Hope the first night after we got into San Diego this last time, and had frequently since spent the early part of a night in the oven.  I hardly expected, when I left him to go to windward, to find him alive upon my return.  He was certainly as low as he could well be when I left him, and what would be the effect of the medicines that I gave him I hardly then dared to conjecture.  Yet I knew that he must die without them.  I was not a little rejoiced, therefore, and relieved, upon our return, to see him decidedly better.  The medicines were strong, and took hold and gave a check to the disorder which was destroying him; and, more than that, they had begun the work of exterminating it.  I shall never forget the gratitude that he expressed.  All the Kanakas attributed his escape solely to my knowledge, and would not be persuaded that I had not all the secrets of the physical system open to me and under my control.  My medicines, however, were gone, and no more could be got from the ship, so that his life was left to hang upon the arrival of the California.

Sunday, April 24th.  We had now been nearly seven weeks in San Diego, and had taken in the greater part of our cargo, and were looking out every day for the arrival of the California, which had our agent on board; when, this afternoon, some Kanakas, who had been over the hill for rabbits and to fight rattlesnakes, came running down the path, singing out ``Kail ho!’’ with all their might.  Mr. Hatch, our third mate, was ashore, and, asking them particularly about the size of the sail, &c., and learning that it was ``Moku—­ Nui Moku,’’ hailed our ship, and said that the California was on the other side of the point.  Instantly, all hands were turned up, the bow guns