8'2 



by Auatraliaa captains, by reference to Captain Forbes, in his celebrated 

 retmn voyages in the "Marco Polo." I have not the least doubt, that 

 had I the power of illustrating this subject, by reference to the details 

 of the route of the "Eagle," I should have additional means of proving to 

 you that in voyages from Australia the man who possesses the highest 

 attainments must, under similar circumstances, make the quickest 

 voyage. 



From the imperfect data we possess, I believe that the circle of 

 westerly trades of the southern hemisphere revolve, not around the 

 southern pole as a centre, but around a point situated on the 85th 

 parallel, where it intersects the 40th degree of east longitude ; and it 

 also appears that the isothermal lines have the same centre : con- 

 sequently the mariner, in returning by the Horn, chooses a higher 

 latitude than on his voyage out to Australia. This phenomenon 

 is no doubt the result of the southern polar land, together with Cape 

 Horn, which diverts the current of warm water and warm air to the 

 south. The "Marco Polo " made her two voyages on the parallel of 60° 

 to 61°. In the first voyage home of the "Marco Polo," I was struck, in 

 examining her chart and log, with the gi'eat amount of nautical sluU 

 displayed by her commander, especially in that part of lier route which 

 extended from 100° W. to the south-east trades. In this part of her 

 route, if a line could have been stretched over the surface of the earth, 

 I do not believe the "Marco Polo " deviated five miles from that line in a 

 run of 3,000 miles ; and this feat of seamanship and navigation was 

 accomplished under circumstances requiring every attention and an 

 extraordinary amount of skill. We have no variation charts for these 

 latitudes, and the variation changes rapidly, and consequently the 

 mariner must be constantly observing to correct his compass. Another 

 circumstance connected with this voyage will serve to illustrate the value 

 of the talent of Australian captains. Thirty-two days before the "Mai'co 

 Polo " started from IMelbounie, a ship started from that port, commanded 

 by a captain who intended to adopt the "composite" route of 01°. He 

 certainly made a tract somewhat approaching the " composite" route; but 

 I fiud him ou the parallel of his maximum latitude in 70° W., the longi- 

 tude of the Horn, at the same time that Captain Forbes in the "Marco 

 Polo" was sighting the Horn some 200 miles to the north of the other ship, 

 and before the latter had gained the latitude of the Horn, Captain Forbes 

 had cast anchor in the Mersey. Let us inquire whether this was the result 

 of accident or of slull. "We have already observed that near the Cape 

 there are frequent rotatory storms met with. The same is the case 

 with the Horn. But this difference exists, that beyond the regions 



