ROUTES. • 267 



The Wild Pigeon, crossing the equator also in 33°, had passed 

 along there ten days before, as did also the Trade Wind twelve 

 days after. The latter also crossed the line to the west of 34°, 

 and in four days after had cleared St. Roque. 



But, notwithstanding this loss of three days by the Fish, who so 

 regretted it, and w^ho afterward so handsomely retrieved it, she 

 found herself, on the 24th of November, alongside of the Gilpin, 

 her competitor. They were then both on the parallel of 5° south, 

 the Gilpin being thirty-seven miles to the eastward, and of course 

 in a better position, for the Fish had yet to take advantage of 

 slants, and stand off shore to clear the land. They had not seen 

 each other. 



579. The Charts showed the Gilpin now to be in the best po- 

 sition, and the subsequent events proved the Charts to be right, 

 for thence to 53° south the Gilpin gained on the Pigeon tw^o days, 

 and the Pigeon on the Fish one. 



By dashing through the Straits of Le Maire, the Fish gained 

 three days on the Gilpin ; but here Fortune again deserted the 

 Pigeon, or rather the winds turned against her ; for as she ap- 

 peared upon the parallel of Cape Horn, and was about to double 

 round, a westerly gale struck her and kept her at bay for ten days, 

 making little or no way, except alternately fighting in a calm or 

 buffeting wdth a gale, while her pursuers were coming up " hand 

 over fist," with fine winds and flowing sheets.. 



They finally overtook her, bringing along with them propitious 

 gales, when all three swept past the Cape, and crossed the paral- 

 lel of 51° south on the other side of the " Horn," the Fish and the 

 Pigeon one day each ahead of the Gilpin. 



The Pigeon w^as now, according to the Charts, in the best po- 

 sition, the Gilpin next, and the Fish last ; but all were doing well. 



From this parallel to the southeast trades of the Pacific the 

 prevailing winds are from the northwest. The position of the 

 Fish, therefore, did not seem as good as the others, because she 

 did not have the sea-room in case of an obstinate northwest gale. 



But the winds favored her. On the 30th of December the three 

 ships crossed the parallel of 35° south, the Fish recognizing the 

 Pigeon ; the Pigeon saw only a " clipper ship," for she could not 

 conceive how the ship in sight could possibly be the Flying Fish, 

 as that vessel w^as not to leave New York for some three weeks 



