THE CAiilBBEAN SEA. 363 



Easterly or Westerly Currents ; and if, on his approaching Buen Ayre, he 

 bad accidentally stood a few miles to the N.W., so as to make its Northern 

 coast, he would have found a watery grave, designated, perhaps, only by 

 Bome piece of floating timber, a splinter, or broken spar. 



" The uninterrupted Easterly Currents alluded to have already been 

 mentioned by Baron A. von Humboldt ; and, whenever I witnessed them, 

 I found them just as described by that celebrated traveller. It may, how- 

 ever, be remarked that although this change in the general motion of the 

 water is most common in the three months quoted, and chiefly along the 

 Colombian coast, yet sometimes it also happens in other months, and in 

 other parts of the Caribbean Sea ; as we, in fact, once experienced it in 

 December, once in April, near the coast above mentioned, and once in 

 March, on our passage from Guadaloupe to Barbadoes, during which, 

 vessels from St. Vincent's made their way toward the same islands in a 

 few hours." 



(335.) Observations taken in February, 1889, by the ofiicers of the United 

 States Survey steamer Blake, showed that South of Cura9ao the current 

 generally ran to the "Westward on the surface, and to the Eastward under- 

 neath, but the under-current is of such volume that it is liable at times to 

 entirely overcome the surface set. 



(336.) In the Bays of Guateviala and Honduras, the Currents are fre- 

 quently found to be running rapidly from West to East, especially near the 

 shores. This counter-current is seldom encountered outside the lines which 

 join their outer points. From Cape la Vela, or Northward of the Bay of 

 Guatemala, the Current generally sets to the N.W. toward the Channel of 

 Yucatan, as before remarked. 



" In the space between Cape Gracias a Dios and Cape de la Vela, off- 

 shoots and eddies from the great Equatorial Current are found. This 

 assertion is not merely grounded on those of former navigators, or on the 

 examination of the coast outline, but on actual experience." — Captain 

 W. S. Smith, E.N., H.M.S. Lame, 1833. 



(337.) Mr. Town, in his " Directions for the Colombian Coast," has 

 said : — *' Although between the Island of Jamaica and the Spanish Main, 

 "Westerly Currents are most frequent, yet they do not always prevail ; for 

 ships have been known to be driven by the Current from 50 to 60 miles to 

 ftie Eastward in four or five days. From the beginning of May till No- 

 vember (the Bainy Season), the sea-breeze seldom or never blows home to 

 the Main ; and ships going there should never go to the Southward of 

 latitude 11° until they are at least 40 or 50 miles to the "Westward of their 

 intended port ; after which they make a South course, as the land-breeze, 

 which is generally from the S.W., and the strong Easterly Current, will 

 set you to the Eastward of your intended port^ if great care be not taken. 

 When to the Eastward, if light winds prevail, you must stand to the North- 

 ward imtil you meet the sea-breeze, which will lie between the latitudes of 

 10° and 11^, and then run to the Westward. 



*< Being off Porto Bello, in H.M.S. Salisbury, on August 12th, 1816, and 

 being a little to the Eastward of that port, with light variable winds for 

 several days, the ship was set to the Easttvard, at the rate of 30 miles per 

 day ; and, being afterwards placed in the same situation, I found it necessary 



