496 PASSAGES OVER THK ATLANTIC. 



a true South course when the wind was fair, and preferred the tack which gave the 

 most Southing when it was foul. 



" From the 2nd to the 7th we went on well, for on the latter date we were in 

 lat. 7° 29' N., long. 27° 52' W., having been driven by the wind and about 88 miles 

 of current, 83 miles farther West. From the 7th to the 15th we had ' doldrums.' 

 Until the 10th, when we were in lat. 6° 25' N., long. 26° 57' W., the weather was 

 chiefly fine, with a mixture of Northerly and Southerly swells ; after that, heavy 

 rain-squalls, looking very threatening, but not sufficient wind to require the royalt 

 to be taken in, with a high Southerly swell. During the whole *ime the wind we« 

 from East round by South to West, but chiefly South ; the current was generally 

 to the Eastward from 11° to 5° N. 



" Oct. loth.— Lat. 4° 8' N., long. 25° 41' W. ; current in the last 24 liours West, 

 16 miles ; wind S. by W., by compass; variation 17° W. This was the point 

 where I had to decide whether to steer to the Eastward, making a little Northing, 

 until I considered my ship far enough to windward, or to the Westward, making 

 about W.S.W., with the certainty of a Westerly current, i chose to go to the 

 Westward, feeling sure that the wind would gradually draw to the S.E., whereas 

 I think that, had we gone to the Eastward, we should have continued in the 

 Variables, if we did not run back into Calms. 



" Oct. 16th.— Lat. 3° 15' N., long. 27"22i' W.; course and distance, S. 62^» W., 

 114 miles ; current in the last twenty-four hours, N. 39° E., 12 miles; variation, 

 by azimuth compass, 17° 3' W., by steering compass, 16° 3' W. At 10 a.m. a 

 large ship passed us steering to the Eastward, and we lost sight of a barque which 

 was in company, so I suppose that she also went off to the Eastward. The wind 

 drew to the South by compass, so that we were able to make true S.W. \ W. 

 The weather during the last twenty-four hours looked unsettled, especially in the 

 N.W., where there was lightning ; but even when we broke off to W. by N. for an 

 hour, I felt that, by going on the port tack, we were drawing into the S.E. Trade. 



" Oct. 17th.— Lat. 1° 30' N., long. 29° 24' W. ; by • lunar, 30° W. ; course and 

 distance, S. 48^° W., 162^ miles ; current, S. 77i° W., 13 miles. The wind from 

 S. by E. to S.S.E.; the sea smooth, and weather very delightful. 



" Oct. 18th.— Lat. 0° 52' S., long. 31" 24' W. ; by * lunars, 32° W.; course and 

 distance, S. 41" W., 184 miles ; current, S. 44° W., 12 miles. The wind from 

 S.S.E. to S.E. by S. 



" Oct. 19th. — 5 a.m., lat., by meridian altitude of Shius, 2^ 32' S. ; noon, lat. 

 8° 15' S., long. 31° 56' W. ; current, S. 13' W., 8 mUes; wmd, S.E. by S. ^ S. ; 

 bearing and distance of the Rocas, supposing them to be in lat. 3' 55' S., long. 

 33° 44' W., and taking the mean of the above longitude as my position at noon, 

 S. 38° W., 51 miles. 3 p.m. — Lat., by meridian altitude of Venus, 3" 33^' S. 

 3.20 p.m. — Long, by altitudes of the sun, using the London rates for the best 

 chronometer, 33' 10^' W. Hence, since noon we had made S. 36'' W., 25 miles. 



" Throughout the afternoon we steered about S. 35" W., and at 5 p.m. we saw 

 the reef about 12 miles off, extending from nearly right ahead out on the weather 

 bow ; and at 6 p.m. we kept away W.S.W., so as to pass it at the distance of 

 about 5 miles. 



" The sighting of the Rocas was one of very many instances in my experience 

 proving the look-out man, either from want of practice or from a want of interest 

 i^ what he was doing, unable to see an object almost staring him in the face. 

 From 3.30 p.m., I ordered a regular look-out from fore-topsail yard, and at 5 p.m. 

 felt so sure that the reef must be in sight, that I determined to visit the topsail- 

 yard myself ; when, on stepping into the rigging, something strange caught my 

 eye, which proved to be a beacon on the Western part of the reef ; yet from the 

 ktpsail-yard the look-out man had seen nothing, and could hardly see it when I 

 pointed it out. A similar ease happened one evening on our way towards Torres 

 Straits, when I sent an officer up to look round as the sun set, though I alwava 



