50 CAPTAIN TUCKEY’S NARRATIVE. 
it to the west; but the wind soon returning to south, and 
blowing fresh, we were unable to weather it, and I thought 
it advisable to stand off to the W.S. W. in the hope of making 
southing ; accordingly we crossed the line in this course 
on the 28d, and in the meridian of 44° E. 
From the time of our making St. Thomas, we experienced 
a current setting to the W. N. W., encreasing in velocity as 
we went to the westward, until on the line it set 33 miles in 
24 hours. Finding we made little southing, the wind still 
hanging obstinately at south, we tacked on the 24th to the. 
eastward, and on the 27th passed to the south of St. Thomas, 
within 5 leagues, our latitude being 0° 17'S., so that we had 
gained but 45 miles southing in 6 days, owing to the strong 
northerly currents, although in this track the latest chart of 
the Atlantic marks a strong southerly current. 
While in sight of the two islands above mentioned, the 
weather was so very cloudy that we could see ‘little 
more than their outlines. Towards the south end of 
Prince’s island are two whitish ravines; but whether this 
colour is from the nature of the ground, or from the excre- 
ment of birds (of which there are immense numbers round 
the island) we could not ascertain. St. Thomas, which we 
approached within 7 or 8 miles, appears to be wooded up 
to the summit of what is rather improperly called the Peak 
