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of the Cape storms there is a track of ocean at which steady winds 

 prevail. Not so with the Horn. Graham's Land is so near to the 

 Horn that when a rotatory gale blows in this region it extends from 

 shore to shore. Captain Forbes, knowing such to be the case, and also 

 that a westerly current set near the Horn, sighted laud, and, availing 

 himself of the northern side of the centre of the gale, had the combined 

 aid of the wind and current — whilst the other captain was on the south 

 side the centre, with a strong head wand ; on attempting to get north, 

 the wind was still ahead, and he at length gained his latitude by beating 

 to windward. Although this remarkable voyage was so worthy of com- 

 mendation, the last voyage home, which so much disappointed the 

 friends of Captain Forbes, was that which raised him far liigher in my 

 esteem than anything he had previously accomplished. We ought not 

 to appreciate always the amount of ability displayed by a mariner by the 

 shortness of the time occupied by his voyage, except we take into con- 

 sideration the circumstances under which such voyage was accomplished. 

 In their first voyage from Australia, Captains Boyce and Forbes (in the 

 ' ' Eagle " and ' ' Marco Polo ") had the advantage of an Austral summer ; in 

 the last they had to contend with an Austral winter. lu June last we find 

 at Melbourne four captains whose ability stood the highest for accom- 

 plishing a homeward voyage — Captains Boyce of the " Eagle," M'Kay of 

 the "Sea," Coleman of the"Kent,"and Forbes of the "Marco Polo." With 

 the month of June south-east winds set in — a circumstance which might 

 be regarded as the most unfavourable for a homeward voyage. According 

 to the chart, this appeared to be a head wind — the most unfavourable 

 that could blow. First started the " Sea." Confident in the superior 

 sailing qualities of his ship. Captain M'Kay started at his time, contrary 

 to the advice of those with whom he was connected. From Melbourne 

 to Wilson's Promontory there are a series of headlands running out 

 southward. He left Melbourne on the port tack, but having made what 

 he considered sufficient southerly to w^eather these easterly headlands, 

 he tacked ; but nearing too closely one of these headlands, he lost his 

 ship and his own life. Next started the " Kent," Captain Coleman ; 

 and in giving an account of his run against the "Marco Polo," I shall take 

 his own letter in the Times as my authority. He succeeded in getting 

 out at the east of Bass's Straits five days before the " Marco Polo." 

 Then the "Marco Polo" started, south-east winds still prevailing. But 

 Captain Forbes was better acquainted with the surftice of the globe he 

 had to navigate ; he perceived that the port tack was that which would 

 lead him more directly to his port than the starboard tack, and he ran 

 out, therefore, at the western entrance of Bass's Straits. Now, if we 



