NAUTICAL REMARKS. 407 



near the land. Tliese winds are in general taken advantage 

 of by vessels bound in the opposite direction to that of our 

 present course. 



The weather throughout this passage was remarkably fine. 

 The wind was from W.N.VV. to N.N.E. until we made 

 Cape San Lucas, when it veered to E.N.E., and obliged us 

 to pass between the Tres Marias Islands. This route occa- 

 sioned the loss of a day, and I should advise any vessel making 

 the passage to close the land to the northward of Cape San 

 Lucas, provided the wind were in the north-east quarter; as 

 in addition to the inconvenience which a shift of wind to the 

 E. would occasion, there is another arising from a strong cur- 

 rent, which generally sets out of the Gulf of California. 

 From the Cape steer for Isabella Island, and thence for Piedra 

 de Mer. 



Between 33o N. and Cape San Lucas v>e found a current 

 to the westward, and from the Cape to the Tres Marias to the 

 southward. The whole effect of current from ,San Francisco 

 to these islands was S. 5So W. eighty miles. 



SAN BLAS TO ACAPULCO AND VALPARAISO, 



March 8th to May \st, 1 828. 



At diis season north-westerly winds prevail upon the coast 

 between San Bias and Acapulco, inclining toward tlie land In 

 the day, and to the sea in the night. We passed four miles to 

 westward of CorveteHa (a small rock, situated N.W. by N. 

 nineteen miles from Cape Corrientes) without having sound- 

 ings in eighty fathoms. On the 10th we were within sight of 

 the volcano of Colima, 12,003 feet above the sea, and on the 

 13th anchored at Acapulco. 



At San Bias we heard various opinions upon the best route 

 from Acapulco to Valparaiso, some being in favour of a pas- 

 sage to the eastward of the Gailapagos, by keeping along the 

 land, and carrying the N.W. wind, and others to the west- 

 ward, by steering at once out to sea. We adopted the latter 

 mode of proceeding ; and after light and variable winds, prin- 

 cipally from the eastward, crossed the equator in 99o 40' W., 



VOL II. 2 E 



