214 A VOYAGE TO Book VIII. 



always blow with great violence ; but not always with 

 the same degree: being less strong in the beginning 

 than in the depth of winter, when their rage strikes 

 the most resolute with horror, and raises such enor- 

 mous waves, that the atmosphere is crowded with 

 vapours : and these turn to a drizzling rain, which 

 lasts as long as the storm continues. It often happens 

 that these violent N. winds, without the least sign of 

 an approaching change, shift round instantly to the 

 W. which change is called the travesía, but continue 

 to blow with the same force. Sometimes indeed this 

 sudden change is indicated by the horizon clearing up 

 a little in that quarter: but in seven or eight minutes 

 after the appearance of this small gleam of light, a 

 second storm comes on ; so that when a ship is labour- 

 ing against the violence of a storm from the N. the 

 greatest care must be taken, on the least appearance, 

 to prepare for the travesia ; indeed its rapidity is often 

 such as not to allow time sufficient for making the 

 necessary preparations, and the danger is sufficiently 

 evident if the ship has her sails set, or is lying to. 



In the month of April J 743, in the latitude of 40", I 

 had the misfortune of experiencing the fury of a storm 

 at N. which lasted in its full violence from the í29th of 

 IMarch till the 4th of April, Twice the wind shifted 

 to the travesia, and veering round to the southward, 

 returned in a few hours to the N. The first time it 

 shifted to the W. the ship by the vortices formed in the 

 sea by this sudden opposition to the course of its 

 waves, was so covered with water from head to stern, 

 that the officers who were on the watch concluded 

 she had foundered; but fortunately we had our lar- 

 board tacks on board, and by a small motion of the 

 helm, the ship followed the change of the wind, and 

 brought to without receiving any damage ; whereas 

 Ave should otherwise in all j)robability have been lost. 

 Anotlier circumstance in our favour was, that the 

 wind was some points to the westward of the N. 

 2 For 



