12 ISLAND OF ST. PAUL'S. [1843. 



she rolled viciously, and having nearly broken up one 

 cutter, we were compelled to get the other in board 

 before she sustained similar damage. 



Our magnetic duties required us to carry the boats on 

 our quarters, or they would have been stowed in-board be- 

 fore quitting the Cape. Ten days bad weather may always 

 be contemplated in these regions until passing St. Paul's. 

 Not obtaining any information from the books supplied 

 by Government, I may add, that from present experience, 

 as well as that of the Journals contained in the ' Hundred 

 Voyages', I would recommend running a S.S.E. (com- 

 pass) course from the Cape until reaching the parallel of 

 36 or 38 S.j then a course between S.E. by E.toS.E., 

 as the local attraction may render necessary, in order to 

 make the Island of St. Paul's.* About the 60th degree 

 of east longitude we experienced light breezes, which 

 continued, varying from north to south-west, until pass- 

 ing 70. On the 19th we were again favoured with 

 strong breezes varying from N.W. to S.W., but not suffi- 

 ciently strong to prevent our carrying all plain canvas. 

 During the night of the 22nd of May we passed the 

 meridian of St. Paul's and expected to have sighted it 

 at dawn, but had over-run our distance. On the 26th 

 we reached the 95th meridian, and, with the expecta- 

 tion of meeting the S.E. trade near the tropic, altered 

 our course, first to E. and E.N.E., and then to N.E. 



* The daily observations for the Variation made on board each ship 

 will accurately point out what is due to local attraction. After passing the 

 Island of St. Paul's the course may be varied by degrees (as the varia- 

 tion decreases), so as to ensure cutting the Southern Tropic to the 

 eastward of 100 or probably 105 E., where the S.E. trade may be 

 pxpected from May until November. 



