194 A VOYAGE TO Book YIIL 



in flio summer, that is, from November to May, 

 sonicliinfs veer as far as S. E. Near the coast is 

 a periodical morning' breeze, or faint easterly ^vind, 

 Avhieh shiffs round to the S. E. or S. S. E. and in 

 this season, at any distance from the co^st, the S. 

 M'inds are also faint ; nor are calms uncommon, though 

 they are of short continuance ; but the brisas never 

 reach so far : and this renders the voyage from Paita 

 to Callao so very long in all seasons. For if a ship 

 stretches out to a great distance from the coast, the 

 winds, even within ieVi or twelve leagues, shift from S,i 

 to S. \V . but if she keeps along the sliore, and endea- 

 vours to perform her voyage by tacking, she loses on 

 one what she gained on another. Besides, during the 

 winter the currents set strongly towards the N. or N. 

 ^^ . and consequently render the voyage still more tedi- 

 ous, in summer there is Iiere generally no current, or 

 if any do set to the northward, it is scarcely perceived ; 

 the direction of the current in that season being gene- 

 rally W. This proceeds from the brisas blowing 

 from the N. of the equator, though they are unable to 

 <iiange the set of the current to the S. as would be 

 the natural consequence, were it not for the resist- 

 ance it meets with from tlie waters agitated by the 

 S. winds to the southv.ard of the equinoctial ; but 

 by meeting each otlicr they run towards the ^V. There 

 are, however, some short intervals during the summer, 

 when the currents suddenly change their direction, 

 and run to the southward, but at no great distance 

 from the shore ; and in the same instantaneous man- 

 ner sliift about to an opjiosite point; and this is the 

 reason why most ships coming from Paiiato Callao in 

 this season keep near the shore, and work up to wind- 

 ward, hoping, by the favourable change of the cur- 

 rents, to acquire that assistance which the winds deny. 

 At all times this voyage is of a most disagreeable 

 and fatiguing lengih ; for though the dislance accord-, 

 ing to the latitude oí" these ports, be only 140 leagues, a 



ship 



