86 A VOYAGE TO Book II. 



whole time. But we were no fooner m iigbt of Punta 

 de Nave, than it became cahn, and a breeze from the 

 land fprung up, which hindered us from getting that 

 day into the harbour. It aUo continued contrary on 

 the 30th ; but by the help of our oars, and bring 

 towed, we got at lail to the anchoring- place, where 

 we went on fhore, with our baggage and infiruments 

 neceíTary for beginning our oblervations. But this 

 being the moft proper place for mentioning the winds 

 which prevail in this paflage, along the coaft, and 

 that of Carthagena, we ihall beflovv fome paragraphs 

 on thera. 



There are two forts of general winds on thefe 

 coafts ; the one called brifas, which blow from the 

 N.E. and the other called vendábales, which come from 

 the W. and W. S. W. The former fet in about the 

 middle of November, but are not fettled till the be- 

 ginning or middle of December, which is here the 

 fummer, and continue blowing freih and invariable till 

 the middle of May ; they then ceafe, and are fuc- 

 ceededby the vendábales, but with this difference, that 

 thefe do not extend farther than 12 or i2| degrees of 

 latitude; beyond which the brifas conflantly reign, 

 though with different degrees of ftrength;, and veer 

 fometimes to the eaft, and at other times to the north. 



The feafon of the vendábales is attended with vio- 

 lent ilorms of wind and rain ; but they are foon over, 

 and fucceeded by a calm equally traniitory ; for the 

 wind gradually frcfhens, cfpecially near the land, 

 where thefe phenomena are more frequent. The lame 

 happens at the end of Oilober and beginning of No- 

 vember, the general winds not being fettled. 



In the feafon of the brifas, the currents as far as 1 2° 

 or 1 2" 30' of latitude, fet to the wen ward, but with lefs 

 velocity than ufual at the changes of the moon, and 

 greater at the full. But be)ond that latitude, they 

 ufually ft N. W. Though this muft not be under- 

 fiood without exception J as, for inflance, near iilands 



or 



