520 PASSAGES OVER THE ATLANTIC. 



•scant winds, the tack in the third quadrant (S.W.) will be moafc adV'an- 

 tageous, and ought to be followed always when it can. All the endeavouf 

 ought to be to get into these winds, without being particular as to the 

 means, and without keeping close to the wind to pass between the coast 

 of Africa and the Canaries; but taking the passage that suits best, be it 

 that between the Canaries and Madeira, or that between Madeira and the 

 Azores ; and certainly either of these is preferable to that to the East of 

 the Canaries, for the proximity of the coast of Africa deadens the wind, 

 and, consequently, is unfavourable to the brevity of the navigation. 



Having gained the Trade Winds, the navigator must take precautions 

 conducing to prevent any error of situation, in making his port of 

 destination ; for, if he who navigates by observations is exposed to be 

 even 30 miles in error, he who has no more than dead-reckoning to direct 

 him may, probably, be 6 degrees wrong. It is very necessary to guard 

 against this error ; keeping in view that, in proportion as it will be easy 

 for any one, making a landfall to windward of his port of destination, to 

 run down to it ; so will be the difficulty, if he makes the landfall to lee- 

 ward of his port, in beating up again in a sea wherein both the winds and 

 currents are contrary. Even if bound to the coasts of the United States 

 of America, it will be advisable to run into the limits of the Trade Winds, 

 in order to get to the Westward in as short a time as possible ; and 

 although this mode may appear long, on account of having again, after 

 crossing, to augment the latitude, it will be sufficient to keep in view the 

 following maxim, to convince any one to the contrary : — If in the one way 

 the distance is shorter, in the other the velocity with which the ship proceeds 

 towards her port of destination more than balances it. 



There are, nevertheless, many occasions on which a vessel may run across 

 to the American coast without reducing her latitude, and these occasions 

 may be frequent in the forty or fifty days which follow the two Equinoxes, 

 as epochs during which the N.E. winds generally prevail ; therefore vessels 

 which make their passages at these times, may at once follow their voyage 

 in high parallels, without descending to low ones. 



In summer, as the region of the general or Trade Winds extends to 

 about lat. 28° 30' N., it follows that the round-about is trifling ; and this 

 circumstance ought to be attended to in the calculations which every 

 captain of a ship should make before he fixes on the course he will pursue. 



Recapitulating what we have said about the course which is most 

 advisable for crossing to the United States, from the coasts of Spain, ib 

 follows that, if the wind permits it. West is the preferable course ; and, in 

 case the winds will not allow of shaping that course, the most advisable 

 track will be that which comes nearest to it, if the voyage is made at the 

 times above mentioned after the Equinoxes ; but if at any other time, a 

 course in the third quadrant (S.W.) should be preferred ; for this will 

 carry the vessel soonest into the Trade Winds, with which the necessary 

 longitude may be quickly gained. 



Vessels bound to Cuba during the rainy season, or season of the South 

 winds, should pass to the Northward of Porto Rico and Hayti ; but during 

 the Norths they ought to go to the Southward of these islands. The ports 

 chiefly frequented are, St. lago on the South, and Havana on the N.W. 



