408 APPENDIX. 



on the eleventh day of our passage, about two degrees more 

 to the westward than was intended. 



After two days' unsettled weather and hard showers of rain, 

 we got the S.E. trade in S° S. latitude. It at first held to 

 the southward, but, as we proceeded, veered gradually to the 

 eastward, and obliged us to make a long sweep, in which we 

 went as far to the westward as IO80, and having brought us 

 into 23" S. and IO60 W. it left us. We had afterwards 

 variable winds and squally weather, and found some difficulty 

 in approaching our destination. At this season very unsettled 

 weather prevails on the coast of Chili, and storms and heavy 

 rains from the northward are by no means unfrequent. It 

 appears to me to be advisable at this period to steer direct for 

 the port, if possible, and to disregard the chances of winds and 

 of currents near tlie land. The currents in the first part of 

 this passage ran about seven miles a day to the eastward, but 

 from 80 N. and 98o W. to 19o S. and IO80 W. they flowed 

 in a S. 880 W. direction, at the average rate of about twenty- 

 eight miles per day, and on our arrival at Valparaiso they had 

 drifted the ship S. 8I0 W., four hundred and one miles, or 

 at the average rate of eleven and a half miles a day. 



On account of these strong currents it is desirable to cross 

 the equator well to the eastward, in about 96o or 97o W., 

 and to pass the latitudes in which they prevail as quickly as 

 possible, by keeping clean full. 



RIO JANEIRO TO ENGLAND. 



August 5th to September 25th. 



This passage was remarkable for strong S.W. winds be- 

 tween the trades. Upon leaving Rio, N.E. winds obliged us 

 to stand to the S.E. to the lat. 27° S. and long. 36o W., where 

 we met the S.E. trade-wind, which carried us across the equa- 

 tor in 24o 20' W., and left us in 5« N. latitude. It was there 

 succeeded by strong south-west winds, attended by a long swell 

 from the same quarter. This continued to 15o N., and was 

 succeeded by the N.E. trade, which prevailed as far as 27o N. 

 and 350 W. We had here six days calm, and then variable 



