THE WINDWAED ISLANDS. ^27 



N.W. and Northerly, in the passages, may generally be found ; and it has 

 been remarked that, in some instances, when the current runs to leeward 

 on one side, it runs to windward on the other ; also, that i*; may set to 

 wiadward on both sides, while at the same time, to leeward in the 

 middle, and frequently the reverse. 



The intelligent officer to whose book we are indebted for these observa- 

 tions, says, " In the daytime, attention to the progress you may make in 

 getting to windward, by the appearance or bearings of the land, is the best 

 rule you can have, first trying a short tack inshore, where, if you make 

 little or no progress to windward, your best way is to stand across, and 

 try the other side of the channel ; and, if that do not answer, the mid- 

 channel will most likely prove the best ; for, although contrary to the 

 general opinion, we have often found it so ; much, however, depends on 

 the time of day. In the morning and evening you should endeavour 

 to be near the shore, the North side of the passage in preference, where if 

 the wind be moderate, and the coast not much exposed to the general 

 Trade Wind, you are pretty certain of having the wind two or three points 

 off the land. In like manner, you should endeavour to be in the offing 

 about one o'clock, p.m., as the wind generally blows more on the shore at 

 that time. "We have also observed that the land and sea breezes prevail 

 most where the land on the coast is low. 



" SJwuld you he hound to a place to the Eastivard of you, and no land in 

 the way, the best tack to be upon is the one on which you will lie up 

 nearest to E. by N., that being the point from which the Trade Wind 

 generally blows ; when it changes from that point you may consider it a 

 slant of wind, and take advantage of it accordingly — particularly if it veer 

 to the South during the day, or to the North by night ; thus it will be found 

 to be advantageous to be on the port tack at night, and the starboard 

 tack by day." 



In squally weather the wind is so very variable, that it is seldom 

 possible to take advantage of it in getting to windward. 



To windward of the islands and to the Northward of Barbados, in mode- 

 rate Trade Winds, the Equatorial Current will be found generally to set 

 from N.W. by N. to N. by W., at the rate of from half to three- 

 quarters of a mile an hour. As you approach the islands, it becomes 

 more irregular ; near to the Eastward of Point Salines, Martinique, it 

 frequently sets strong to North, and even N.E. We have have also felt 

 this set of the current near to Point Moulacique, the South point of 

 St. Lucia, and have frequently seen vessels bound to Gros Islet Bay, 

 St. Lucia, from Barbados only the night before, driven so far to the North 

 as to have passed the Island of St. Lucia, and also a considerable part of 

 Martinique, before they discovered their mistake ; and, being strangers, 

 they had to wait until an observation could be taken to ascertain the 

 latitude, before they could find out their true situation. 



In the passages lying nearly in a North and South direction, the current 

 sets generally about N.N.W., until you are past the most northerly land 

 on the Eastern side of the passage, when the Western current, beinf^ no 

 longer obstructed by the land, sets with great strength in a more Westerly 

 direction. This is the case in all the passages from Antigua to Hayti, 



