TO THE WEST INDIES, ETC. 517 



port ; why should she, as long as that wind lasts, run out of her way to 

 find one that will not enable her to do any better? On the contrary, let 

 her take advantage of it to make Westing as fast as possible, and when it 

 grows lighter or becomes adverse, as it will, then let her master stick her 

 away South in search of a better wind. 



By doing this, the voyage, as I have sketched it, may be considerably 

 shortened. The Wind Chart will show the navigator exactly how far 

 South he ought to go to look for the Trades in each month. A reference 

 to this, with the injunction to make the most of a good wind wherever he 

 finds it, seems to be almost the only sailing directions that are required 

 for the ports above named, especially in winter and spring. 



In the fall of 1856, Captain Macloon, of the Georgia, asked to have 

 pointed out to him a better route from Liverpool to Savannah, stating 

 that he had tried three, and had had by them two passages of 60 days 

 each, and one of 54. The reply from Captain Maury was, in substance : — 



" You ask for a new way to come from Liverpool to Savannah. I have 

 often thought that if I were in that trade, considering the passage is a 

 long and tedious one, I should try it on the Trades ; that is, when you 

 come out of Liverpool, proceed as if you were going to cross the Line 

 (for which you will find sailing directions at page 475 et seq. of this work). 

 Aim to cross the parallel of 30° N. in about 25° W., and then steer S.W. 

 till you get well into the Trades, even if you have to go as far as the 

 parallel of 20° N. Now steer West till you get about the meridian of 60°, 

 and then haul up for your port. If you have a smart ship, and will try 

 this passage next November, you will make something like this run : — ■ 

 From Liverpool to the parallel of 30° N., 14 days; thence into the Trades, 

 say 22° — 20°, 5 days ; thence to the meridian of 60°, 10 days ; thence to 

 Savannah, 7 days ; total, 36 days. 



" Within that time this passage can be made by this route ; but as I 

 suppose the Georgia is not a clipper, I will give you a week longer, or 43 

 days ; and if you not make it in that time, I shall be disappointed." 



From June to October, inclusive, there is not much choice of routes. 

 On the one hand the N.E. Trades are uncertain at that season of the year 

 — the Hurricane season ; while to the North calms are most prevalent, 

 and gales less frequent. During these months, therefore, the best route is 

 the straight course, for the Atlantic ports especially, taking advantage of 

 the winds as they present themselves, for they are too unstable for one to 

 go either to the North or South to look for them. 



At this season of the year the Calm belt of Cancer is far North and 

 vessels that attempt to make Westing between 28° and 34°, will find the 

 winds more baflfling than they will either to the North or the South of 

 those parallels. I caution navigators to avoid the belt between these 

 parallels as much as possible ; and when they have to cross it, I advise 

 them to cross it nearly on a meridian. The Wind Chart shows the 

 position of this Calm belt for each month. 



Transient vessels, bound into Philadelphia and New York, would find 

 the Southern route, in the winter months, the most desirable, on account 

 of the weather, but the passage by it would, at that the most favourable 

 season for it, be prolonged about a week on the average. The mistake 



