ROUTES. 341 



gone sucli trials, he Avrote in his log as follows: "I now regret 

 that, after making so fine a run to 5° north, I did not dash on, and 

 work my way to windward to the northward of St. Roque, as I 

 have experienced little or no westerly set since passing the equa- 

 tor, while three or four days have been lost in working to the east- 

 ward, between the latitude of 5° and 3° north, against a strong 

 westerly set ;" and he might have added, " with little or no wind." 



974. In three days after this he was clear of St. Eoque. Just 

 five days before him, the Hazard had passed exactly in the same 

 place, and gained two days on the Fish by cutting straight across 

 the doldrums, as the Sailing Directions advised him to do. 



975. 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 4 days after had cleared St. Roque. 



976. But, notwithstanding this loss of three days by the Fish, 

 who so regretted it, and who 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 advant- 

 age of slants, and stand off shore to clear the land. They had 

 not seen each other. 



977. 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 two days, 

 and the Pigeon on the Fish one. 



978. By dashing through the Straits of Le Maire, the Fish 

 gained three days on the Gilpin ; but here Fortune again desert- 

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

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

 round, a westerly gale struck her "in the teeth," and kept her at 

 bay for ten days, making little or no way, except alternately fight- 

 ing in a calm or buffeting with a gale, while her pursuers were 

 coming up " hand over fist," with fine winds and flowing sheets. 



979. They finally overtook her, bringing along with them pro- 

 pitious gales, wlien all three swept past the Cape, and crossed the 



