150 FROM MADEIRA TO THE BARRIER 



rather hard to please, but the south-east trade, which we 

 were expecting 1 to meet every day, was, in our opinion, 

 far too late in coming, and when at length it arrived, it 

 did not behave at all as becomes a wind that has the 

 reputation of being the steadiest in the world. Besides 

 being far too light, according to our requirements, it 

 permitted itself such irregularities as swinging- between 

 the points of south and east, but was mostly in the 

 neighbourhood of the former. For us, who had to lie 

 all the time close-hauled to the westward, this had the 

 effect of increasing our western longitude a great deal 

 faster than our latitude. We were rapidly approaching 

 the north-eastern point of South America Cape San 

 Roque. Fortunately we escaped any closer contact 

 with this headland, which shoots so far out into the 

 Atlantic. The wind at last shifted aft, but it was so 

 light that the motor had to be constantly in use. 

 Slowly but surely we now went southward, and the 

 temperature again began to approach the limits that are 

 fitting according to a Northerner's ideas. The tiresome, 

 rather low awning could be removed, and it was a relief 

 to be rid of it, as one could then walk upright every- 

 where. 



On October 16, according to the observations at 

 noon, we were in the vicinity of the island of South 

 Trinidad, one of the lonely oases in the watery desert 

 of the South Atlantic. It was our intention to go close 

 under the island, and possibly to attempt a landing ; but 



