NAUTICAL REMARKS. 3g7 



more than the main topsail, in consequence of the violence of 

 the squalls. At the commencement of this bad weather, the 

 squalls wei'e harder and more frequent than towards its ter- 

 mination, and were accompanied with rain, hail, and sleet. 

 Towards the close of it the general strength of the wind was 

 increased, but the violence of the squalls was comparatively 

 moderate, and the intervals longer. Still these gusts of wind 

 gave no warning, and indeed during the whole period, except- 

 ing in the squalls, there was a clear blue sky, and apparently 

 fine weather. From the commencement of these pamperos to 

 their termination we had a reduction of nineteen deirrees in 

 the temperature of the air, and of fifteen in the surface of the 

 sea. The remarks of Captain Heywood in Captain Hors- 

 burg's " Directory," a valuable book, and well known in the 

 navy, will be found very useful in anticipating these squalls. 



To these pamperos succeeded a calm, then light and mode- 

 rate breezes from N.W., E.N.E., N., E.N.E., S.W., S.E. 

 with cloudy weather, until in latitude 48o S. and longitude 

 54,0 "W.^ when we fell in with a W. N.W. wind, which the 

 next day carried us into soundings off the Falkland Islands. 

 As we neared the land, the wind died away. The barometer 

 was low, standing at 28-6, and the weather was misty, with 

 drizzling rain at times. About one o'clock p.m. on the 9th 

 September, the mist began to disperse, and a bright yellow 

 sky was seen under anarch to the S.W.; the wind at the same 

 time inclined that way, and in less than an hour we were un- 

 der close-reefed topsails and storm staysails. This gale lasted 

 about eighteen hours, and then veered to W. by N. and W., 

 with which we advanced to the parallel of Cape St. John. 

 Here we encountered strong S. W. winds with long heavy 

 seas, and stretched to the southward to 58° 02' S., refrrettino: 

 that we had not passed inside the Falkland Islands, as in that 

 case we should have been nearly a day's run further to the 

 westward before we encountered these adverse winds. After 

 two days die wind veered to S.S.W. and blew hard, but the 

 sea was not high. We now stood to the N.W., and on the 

 17th in latitude 56o 2l' S. and longitude 61" 51' W., we had 

 a few hours' calm. This was succeeded by a breeze from 



