Ch. ir. SOUTH AMERICA. 149 



height of Malpelo ; and from thence E. and E. S. E. 

 to Cape St. Francis, inclining Ibmething towards 

 Gorgona. From Cape St. Francis tl.eir direélion is 

 S. and S. W. which eoniinues for 30 or 40 leagues 

 feawards, the ftrength of them being proportionate to 

 that of tlie brifas. 



During the feafon of the fures, or To nth winds, the 

 currents run N. and N. W. from Punta de Santa 

 Elena, as far as Cape St. Francis, extending thirty or 

 forty leagues fcawards ; from hence they run with a 

 great velocity eaft, as far as the meridian of Malpelo ; 

 and from Morro de Puercos S. E. along the coail, 

 though at fome diftance from it, and tending partly to 

 the bay of Gorgona. But from the meridian of Mal- 

 pelo to Morro de Puercos, they run with great vio- 

 lence N. W. and W. Alfo in the pailage from Cape 

 Blanco to Cape Santa Elena, a violent current runs 

 weft from the river of Guayaquil, during its Ivvel lings; 

 but when the river is low, the current fets into Puna 

 bay : the time of the former is during the brifas, and 

 the latter in the ieafon of the fures. 



At all times, in leaving Perico to fail to Guayaquil, 

 or the coaft of Peru, care muft be taken to keep at a 

 proper diftance from the iñand of Gorgona, many in- 

 ftances having happened of fhips being loft either by 

 this negligence, or, more frequently, by calms. It is 

 alio equally neceíTary to be careful ot the ifland of 

 Malpelo; but the latter is of the two the leaft dan- 

 gerous, as the greaieft detriment is only a longer 

 delay of the voyage. 



If a fhip happens to come in tight of the ifland of 

 Gorgona, it will be found very difficult to get clear of 

 it by fleering either S. S. W. or even N. io that the 

 fureft method is to return towards Panama along the 

 coaft, the currents there changing their direcStion ; at 

 the lame time taking care not to keep at a. great dif- 

 tance from it, to avoid being again carried away by 

 the current, which fets S. E. 



L3 The 



