50 CAPTAIN TUCKEY'S NARRATIVE. 



il to the west ; but the wind soon returning to south, and 

 I)lowing 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 

 southino-! accordingly we crossed the line in this course 

 on the 23d, and in the meridian of 4^° 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 ihe 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 sio-ht of the two islands above mentioned, the 

 Aveather 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 Avithin 7 or 8 miles, appears to be Avooded up 

 to the summit of Avhat is rather improperly called the Peak 



