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stance of sufficient importance to produce any alteration in their feelings.

"The wind continued baffling, with occasional squalls and a great deal of rain; and as it continued to hang to the east and north-east, we were delayed in getting our easting until about the 27th. In the latitude of twenty-four degrees north, and longitude thirty-three degrees thirty minutes west, we took a fresh trade from the east. We now fell into the track of vessels bound from Europe to the West Indies. Several of these vessels were spoken by us; one of them had been sixty-three days from Bremen and was bound to Havanna. The extraordinary length of this passage, is to be attributed to the excessive caution of Dutch navigators, who lay to on the slightest occasion, and always carry but little sail. The Americans are probably the boldest navigators in the world, and yet are universally admitted to be the most fortunate. A timid precaution in avoiding every visible danger, very often exposes us to still greater dangers which we do not foresee.

On the 2d of January, we found ourselves by the chronometer within sixty miles of the island of Brava, one of the Cape de Verds. An indication still more certain, was the great number of birds flying about us, principally the species called the man of war bird, which is rarely seen at a greater distance than a degree from land. For an account of these islands I must refer the reader to Macartney's embassy to China. To many persons it is not known why vessels bound to parts of South America beyond the equator, should thus be compelled to stretch over to the coast of Africa, although the subject is very fa

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miliar to navigators. On casting the eye upon the map it will be seen that Cape St. Roque, the most eastern point of South America, projects into the Atlantic as far east as thirty-three or thirty-four degrees west longitude, and thus forms in fact the entrance of a vast gulf, of which the gulf of Mexico is properly nothing more than the bottom, or recess. A powerful north-west current constantly sets into this recess, with which, as well as with the south-east trade winds, vessels must contend in attempting to double the cape too near the American continent. Vessels happening to be driven too far to the westward, must try to regain the point where they lost the variable winds, so as to enable them to make their easting. Dreadful shipwrecks have been known in consequence of crossing the line too far to the west, and being thus driven on the coast. Here is a great drawback on the intercourse between the United States and the West Indies, with those parts of South America which lie to the windward, especially beyond Cape St. Roque. Navigators are not agreed, however, as to the exact point at which the equator should be crossed; for a too near approach to the African coast is equally to be avoided. Instead of the trade winds which constantly refresh the shores of the American continent, the opposite coast of Africa, is the region of calms more dreadful than tempests or hurricanes. From ten degrees north to the line, and between thirteen and twenty-three degrees west longitude, there is a region of endless calm, but not such as we fancy to ourselves from the meaning of the word; it is a succession of thunder storms, heavy rains and whirlwinds, with dreadful intermission of close and suffo

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cating heat. To find a middle course is the aim of navigators. Much has been said and written as to the best mode of avoiding this scylla and carybdis, but it is pretty generally agreed, that it should be crossed between the twenty-seventh and twenty-third degrees of longitude. Commodore Sinclair resolved

to take the mean between these two extremes.*

We did not gain the regular north-east trade winds until after passing the islands before mentioned, and we had a great run until we reached the seventh degree of north latitude, when they gradually left us. From the 31st of December until the 5th of January, we made upwards of nine hundred miles; after this a most distressing calm set in, which continued until the 17th of the month. In the mean time, we were drifted by an easterly current nearly two hundred miles; that is, from about twenty-three to nineteen degrees west. This was one of the most disagreeable periods of my life. It appeared as if we had been condemned to perish in this dismal region: a black sea around us, and above us generally a gloomy sky; dark shapeless clouds continually gathering as if to contend with the sun, whose fierce vertical rays occasionally bursting forth seemed almost to burn. The arch of the horizon was diminished in a most surprising manner, as if presaging a dreadful storm. The

* Commodore Porter in his cruise crossed the equator in twenty-eight degrees forty-five minutes, without experiencing any calm. His object, however, was to fall into the track of vessels bound to Europe, it is therefore probable that if his intention had been to proceed directly south, he would not have passed so near the American continent. In the journal of this intrepid and skilful navigator, there are many interesting remarks on this subject.

decks were kept wet and continually covered with awnings. An expression of despondency was seen in the countenances of all, while the vessel was rolling about on the heavy sullen waves. We were continually watching every quarter of the compass, and endeavoring to catch once more a glimpse of hope from every breath of air scarcely sufficient to cause the sails to flap against the masts. I called to recollection the celebrated description of a calm at sea by Marmontel, but found it correct only as to the effect upon the mind.*

We were at length favored with occasional light winds, which drifted rather than wafted us towards the equator. Commodore Sinclair observes, "had I been aware of circumstances which occurred, and which were beyond human wisdom to foresee, I am under a belief that I could have shortened my passage fifteen or twenty days. I was in the first instance straining every nerve to gain easting before leaving the variables, which had been found so difficult to effect in the trade winds. I was driven in longitude fortythree degrees west, as far south as latitude twentynine degrees north, when fearing to enter the trades with so little easting, I tacked and stood north with the wind heavy from east north-east, and after getting as far north again as latitude thirty-four, I got a heavy

*I allude to his Incas. Marmontel represents clear skies, fine starry nights, an extensive horizon, and a sea as smooth as a mirror, upon which the vessel is immoveably fixed. He is not correct, in this, but he is correct in the passage where he says, "consterné et glacés d'effroi ils demandent au ciel des orages et des tempête." Struck with consternation they pray to heaven for storms and tempests.

gale of wind from north-east, which blew so strong for about forty-eight hours, I could not venture to avail myself of it in steering to the south-east, but was forced to lay to; whereas, had I been aware of the southwest winds between the trades, which with a strong easterly current, between latitudes four degrees and thirty minutes and one degree thirty minutes northlongitudes twenty-three and nineteen degrees west, which set from two and a half knots the hour to threequarters of a knot, and from east by north to east south-east, until it drifted us as much as two hundred miles to the eastward, (by our chronometer) I might have ventured to have entered the trades in longitude forty-three degrees-and saved all the beating I af terwards had, to gain what I thought a prudent longitude to venture out of the variables.-I was under the impression that I ought to lose the north-east trade at least as high as twenty-two or twenty-three degrees west, as from all writers on this subject, you will find that from latitude five degrees north, you get the wind from about south, which gradually as you approach the line, draws to south south-east, and after crossing it to south-east which would force you down to about twenty-seven degrees before you could gain the line, from which point even it is not uncommon for dull sailing ships, to fall in with the Brazil coast too far to the north."

When nearly under the line we were once more blessed with clear skies, and a fine breeze drawing gradually round to the south south-east, while pleasure and cheerfulness again lighted up the countenances of every one. The temperature of the air was delightfully refreshing, and when contrasted with the

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