THE STEAIT OF FLOEIDA. 623 



every exertion should be made to make them ; especially if, from want of 

 observations, the situation of the ship is not well known. 



4. — When, owing to calms or light winds, a vessel is in danger of being 

 carried through the strait by the currentj she ought immediately to 

 approach the edge of the Salt Kay Bank, or of the Great Bank, to 

 descend from it to the coast of Cuba, without trying to beat down the lost 

 ground ; for, by doing this, she would only render the being carried 

 through more certain. 



5. — Should you involuntarily approach the coast of Florida, you should 

 take extraordinary care to examine whether you have advanced out of the 

 general current and into the eddy. That you may know this, observe the 

 eddy forms a remarkable and visible line between it and the general cur- 

 rent, which line of division is, in many places, out of sight of land ; that, 

 in general, you have no soundings on it ; and that it shows, not only by 

 the change in the colour of the water, but that also in it, during the 

 greatest calms, there is a kind of boiling or overflowing of the water. 

 From this line of division the water gradually changes colour ; so that, 

 near the Florida Kays, it is of a beautiful sea-green, and at last it becomes 

 almost as white as milk. 



6. — When in the eddy you have to make the correction of currents on 

 courses entirely different from those in the stream. This is the more 

 necessary to be remarked, because, from ignorance of this circumstance, 

 several have been shipwrecked. 



7. — When you enter the channel, or strait, from the Tortugas Soundings, 

 with the intention of passing through, take care to become certain of the 

 land of Cuba, or some part of the Eeef of Florida, in order to have a good 

 point of departure ; for, although the latitude and soundings on the 

 Tortugas Bank are more than sufficient to ascertain the place of the ship, 

 yet the variable set of the current toward Havana may produce a serious 

 error, if not properly attended to. The meridian of Havana is, in a 

 word, the best point of departure for ships bound to the N.B. — A. L. 



8. — Steamers bound from the Northern ports of the United States to 

 Havana and other ports in the West Indies, from Cape Hatteras proceed 

 East or West of the Gulf Stream, according to the port they are bound 

 for, making careful use of the lead in passing between it and the coast. 

 Sailing vessels always keep outside the Stream, but make use of it on the 

 return voyage, 



On Proceeding to the Windward or Caribbee Islands. 



As to choosing the North or South part of any of these isles for making 

 your landfall, you ought to consider, first, which point is nearest to the 

 port to which you are destined; and, secondly, the season in which you go. 

 In the Dry Season, it is to be remembered that the winds are generally 

 from the North-Eastward, and in the Eainy Season they are often from 

 the South-Eastward. Thus, in the Dry Season, it is best to make the 



