ACEOSS THE EQUATOE. 477 



The Geneeal Instructions for making the passage from the English or 

 St. George's Channels to the Equator may be briefly summed up thus : — 



1. From the Lizard or the Tuskar, steer about W.S.W. (true) to gain 



an offing, to longitude 10° or 12° W. 



2. From thence steer so as to pass to the Westward of Madeira. 



3. Thence to the West of the Cape Verdes, and across the Equator. 



Each of these portions of the voyage will be discussed separately. 



1. Leaving the Channel. 



The Great Circle course from the Start to Pernambuco, commencing 

 S. 37f° W., true, carried on for 1,220 miles, passes 15 miles outside 

 Ushant, 45 miles off Cape Torinana or Cape Finisterre, and 30 miles West 

 of Madeira. With every circumstance in a sailing vessel's favour, this 

 course made good may be followed ; but, as will be seen by former dis- 

 cussions, she will be affected by numerous causes, which generally have a 

 tendency to place her to the Eastward of her course, and thus involve 

 her among the dangers of the French and Spanish coasts. 



A much more prudent course is at once to make your Westing after 

 leaving the entrance of the Channel, as time will generally be saved by so 

 doing, and all uncertainty avoided. 



Therefore steer to the W.S.W. or S.W. by W. (true) in fine weather a,iter 

 passing Bishop Eock or the Lizard, until the longitude of 10° or 12° be 

 attained. By doing this, the perplexing influence of the revolving tides 

 which occur between the Start and the French coast (page 285), will be in 

 some degree avoided. Again, the occasional Eennell's Current (pages 

 301 — 312), will less affect a vessel, or if strong, will assist her in making 

 the necessary offing. 



But the most important object, in thus early in the passage getting to 

 Westward, is to avoid the well known indraught into the English and 

 St. George's Channels and the Bay of Biscay (see pages 301 — 311). This 

 Eastward tendency of the wind and current would, if not properly 

 estimated, cause some difficulty in weathering Ushant, should the wind 

 become at all adverse, and the strong tides and dangerous navigation, 

 around these projecting, headlands, render them very unpleasant neigh- 

 bours. 



It is probable, too, that the wind may veer more to the Westward, as 

 you get beyond the influence of the St. George's Channel, which draws it 

 towards a more Northern direction ; and again, as Westerly winds have a 

 tendency to veer to the N.W., if you have plenty of sea-room, you can 

 pursue your course a point or two free. With the wind decidedly contrary 

 to making a course to the South of West on reaching the chops of the 

 Channel, it may become a question as to how far a more Northerly route 

 is advisable. 



In a discussion on the Packet Service about 1834, when a Western port 

 of Ireland was advocated as a better starting place than Falmouth, Sir 

 Francis Beaufort drew up a comparison of 60 passages made by the 

 Falmouth Packet, in contrary winds (30 outwards, 30 homewards), and 



