1 1 8 Voyage of the Novara. 



direction of the two currents between the point of division and 

 the land, partial currents (according to circumstances and the 

 strength of the wind), run towards one or the other side, of 

 which the stronofer tends towards the north-west. 



On the 23rd July the weather cleared up ; we approached 

 the coast and came in sight of Cape St. Augustin, the first 

 land descried since leaving Madeira. On the 1st of August 

 a rock was announced ahead ; as nothing of the kind was 

 indicated in the charts, we were curious to know what this could 

 be. A boat was manned, and we were soon made aware, by 

 our olfactory organs, of the real nature of the object, which 

 turned out to be the carcase of a dead whale in a state of 

 putrefaction, over which a number of birds were hovering, 

 whilst a troop of sharks feasted on the putrid mass, boring 

 themselves into the body. This incident shows how many 

 rocks marked in charts as doubtful may owe their origin to 

 similar circumstances ; for, had we not been convinced of the 

 real nature of the object, we should have believed this carcase 

 to be a rock, and thus augmented the number of " doubtfuls " 

 and interrogations in the charts of the Atlantic. 



On the 3rd August we made Cape Frio, and after a rough 

 and stormy night reached at last, on the morning of the 5th, 

 the numerous small islands situated in front of the harbour of 

 Rio. The Sugar Loaf, that remarkable black basaltic rock 

 at its entrance, stood grandly forth, as we ran in. Unfortu- 

 nately the gloomy state of the atmosphere prevented the 

 enjoyment of the exquisite beauty of this so often described 

 charming bay. 



