278 Voyage of the Novara. 



upon the hull of the sliip without inflicting serious injury, 

 and endangering the lives of numbers of men. 



As we had no spare main-yard, we liad to sling a smaller 

 one till our arrival at the nearest port, giving rather a singu- 

 lar appearance to the vessel, but without perceptibly affecting 

 her speed. 



In 34° S. and 76" W., the temperature of the ocean was 

 observed suddenly to fall 3°.l Fahr., and we now, for a dis- 

 tance of about 200 nautical miles, were in what is known as 

 Humboldt's current, which carried us towards N. by W. at a 

 velocity of from half to three-quarters of a mile per hour. 

 Our experience of this renowned current, so far at least as 

 regards the season of the year, and the latitude and longitude 

 in which it is fallen in witli, are widely different from those 

 statistics which represent it as sensibly felt at a distance of 

 fi'om 800 to 1000 miles off the W. coast of South America. 



On the 16th, the faint outline was visible of Aconcagua, the 

 highest of the Chilean Andes, and a few hours later we made 

 the light-house of Valparaiso. A light breeze with a heavy 

 sea made it seem advisable not to run in during the niglit, 

 the result of which was that on the following morning it was 

 only by the efforts of some tow-boats disj^atched to our assist- 

 ance by the commander of H. B. M. ship of the line '^ Ganges j^ 

 and the French corvette '' Eurydice^'' that we were enabled, 

 by 3.30 P.M., to reach Valparaiso in the midst of a profound 

 calm, when our anchor was let go in 25 fathoms, good hold- 



