FROM TENERIFFE TO BRAZIL. Ill 



purpose preparations were made in the morn- 

 ing ; towards evening, when the ship was washed, 

 and every thing put into order, it was brilhantly 

 illuminated, the officers and crew being in their 

 best clothes, the passing from one hemisphere into 

 the other was expected in profound and solemn 

 silence ; at the stroke of eight the flag was hoisted, 

 and we saluted the southern hemisphere with eight 

 guns, and drank to each other in our best wine; 

 the sailors had excellent punch. Upon this Nep- 

 tune appeared, and bid us welcome to the south : 

 he baptized every one that had not passed the line 

 before, and I was the only one that had not to un- 

 dergo that ceremony. The rejoicing was general, 

 and continued the whole evening and part of the 

 night. Half a degree more to the north, and 

 under the equator itself, we found the current 

 N.W. 86° 47 miles in twenty-four hours. 



On the 1st of December, in latitude 14° 40' ,5'', 

 longitude 33" 30", the S.E. trade-wind left us, and 

 a fresh north wind set in with rain and frequent 

 squalls. Our second-lieutenant, Zacharin, has been 

 indisposed ever since we left TenerifFe, of an old 

 complaint, and I fear that his health, as well as 

 that of the smith, who, when on board a man of 

 war, fell from the yard-arm to the deck and hurt 

 his breast, will be injured by the voyage. 



On the 3d, we were in latitude 18° 10'", and lon- 

 gitude 35° 22". We caught three bonetos to-day 

 with a harpoon, which were very welcome to us, as 



