Spanish and Russian America 95

Vancouver’s time. An extract from the United States Pilot
will throw some light on the existence of this blank for 250
years after Spain had become seated on the western ocean.

“On the coast of California from latitude 40° north, a
wind from the north-west blows pretty steadily during the
greater part of the year... .

“Sailing vessels ——The only way to make a passage from
any part of this coast to the northward is to stand out to sea
on the starboard tack until the variable winds are reached
in about 130° west, and then make northing. From July
to January vessels may have to stand on as far as 140° west....

‘“‘Fogs,—In the northern part of the California coast
they are more frequent and at times very dense, and have
been known to extend several hundred miles seaward. These
continue at times for weeks rendering navigation very
difficult.” 3 )

To avoid these difficulties mariners coasting westward,
and keeping in the lanes which favoured their progress,
found themselves edged out off the coast in about latitude
40° north. Their northing brought them eventually to the
Alaskan coast. The intervening coast-line, therefore, was
the last to be explored, and then only under specific orders
from interested governments.

Certain factors then operated to prevent Spain from
occupying the entire Pacific sea-board, and thus acquiring
an indisputable right to it, as she might easily have done.

‘These were the arid barrier in the north of Mexico; the
realisation that no nations sufficiently rich to plunder were
to be found in that direction; the adverse winds and fogs
which made navigation difficult; the absorption of her ship-
ping in the Macao and Philippines trade; the uninviting
nature of the country to the north; her lack of colonising

1 West Coast of Central America Pilot, 1916, pp. 34-41.