Thursday 3rd

Much calmer to-day but still cold. We are up in lat. 52-22 now and not far from the Aleutian Ids. Saw quite a number of whales spouting. About 5 o'clock we sighted a sail dead ahead. We came up close to her and she proved to be the "Leir Burgess" three weeks out of San Francisco. We sent up a string of flags meaning "San Francisco destroyed by fire and earthquake on the 18th". I suppose it was the first they had heard of it. She was bound for Alaska. I have been assigned to Farnham's party, we go to Negros.