^opage from ^t* augtmtn to tfte IBaftama 



ManD0 



At last on the 29th of March the favorable and long 

 awaited moment arrived for leaving the harbor of St. 

 Augustin. In going out, the pilot chose the so-called 

 Swash, a channel lying in towards the North Beach. 

 Our vessel drew only 6 ft. of water and yet, in being 

 raised by the seas over the shallowest part of the bank, 

 it received three very jolting shocks, to the great per- 

 turbation of our skipper. So soon as we had passed 

 the Bar, the pumps were tried and everything ex- 

 amined, but it was found that these rude shakings-up 

 had not damaged the small vessel. With a moderate 

 north-west wind we set our course to the south-east, 

 and the next day (Tuesday the 30th March) found 

 ourselves betimes in the Gulf Stream. Sea-farers 

 know when they get into this mighty ocean-current, 

 partly by the distance gone, that is to say, if they have 

 come 70-80 miles from land, partly by the finer blue 

 color of the sea, which nearer in to the coast grows 

 greener. The Gulf Stream follows a course for the 

 most part directly north-east, and thus stands at vary- 

 ing distances from the curving coast of North 

 America. It is observable by mariners almost as far 

 as the latitude of the Newfoundland Banks ; but the 

 more north it flows, the more it broadens and its force 

 diminishes, but it is of strength enough still to delay 

 ships making against the current unless they have 

 favoring winds to overcome its counter-effect. All 



