HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA. 



161 



the west coast of Mexico, and, perhaps, ultimately 

 from Chili and Peru, to be assayed and coined. 



" Vessels bound round Cape Horn, with cargoes for 

 markets on the_ American coast of the Pa-cine, can, by 

 taking advantage of the south-east trade winds, and 

 'standing broad-oif the Cape,' make the voyage to 

 San Francisco in as short a time as they can to 

 Valparaiso, or any port south of California. Vessels 

 have sailed from our Atlantic ports to San Francisco 

 in less than one hundred days, and they have been, 

 in more than one instance, over one hundred and 

 twenty days in going from Panama to San Francisco. 



" This astonishing difference in time and distance 

 was caused by the course of the winds, and the gulf- 

 stream of the Pacific, mentioned in my remarks on the 

 climate of California. 



" The vessels from our Atlantic ports took advan 

 tage of the winds by steering from the Cape as far 

 into the Pacific as to be enabled to take a course west 

 of the gulf-stream in sailing northward, thus availing 

 themselves first of the south-east, then of the north 

 east < trades,' and avoiding opposing currents. 



"The vessels from Panama were kept back by 

 calms, adverse winds, and currents. It will be per 

 ceived, therefore, that there can be no inducement for 

 vessels bound round Cape Horn, with mixed or 

 assorted cargoes, to stop at Valparaiso, Callao, Guaya 

 quil, or any port on the west coast, because the ex 

 ports of all those places will seek a market at San 

 Francisco ; and their supply of merchandise, as return 

 freight, will be delivered at less expense than it can 

 be by vessels direct from Atlantic ports, American or 

 European. This tendency of trade to concentrate at 

 San Francisco will be aided by the course of exchange. 



