CHAP. 

 I. 



1826, 



8 VOYAGE TO THE 



within six leagues, there was an irregular sea; but we 

 had no soundings at 351 fathoms' depth. Our obser- 

 June, vations reduced to the Peak, placed it eighteen miles 

 to the eastward of its position in the East India 

 Directory. Some squally weather, which occasion- 

 ally broke the ship off her course, increased our 

 anxiety ; but we kept clean full, to pass as quickly 

 as possible the current, which here runs with great 

 rapidity. 



On the 29th we had the satisfaction to find our- 

 selves to the southward of the promontory, and that 

 it would not be necessary to make a tack. The 

 wind, however, led us in with the coast of Brazil, 

 which was seen on the morning of the 8th. The 

 same evening we passed the shoal ofF Cape St. 

 Thomas — a danger which until very lately was erro- 

 neously placed upon the charts, and not sufficiently 

 marked to warn ships of the peril of approaching it.* 

 Thence, our course was for Cape Frio, a headland 

 which all vessels bound to Rio Janeiro should, on 

 several accounts, endeavour to make. In fine wea- 

 ther the south-east winds blow home to the cape, 

 and gradually fall into either the land or sea breeze, 

 according to the time of day, though the prevailing 

 wind off it is from the north-east : with either of 

 these winds, a ship can proceed to her port. The 

 southerly monsoon, which, while it blows, materially 

 facilitates the navigation along the coast to the 



* A merchant-vessel on her way from Rio Janeiro to Bahia, 

 when about ten miles from the land, struck upon this shoal, and 

 beat over it, fortunately with the loss of her rudder only. She af- 

 terwards stood for five hours along the shoal, to the eastward, and 

 her master stated that the sea broke upon it out of sight of land. 



