THE WEST INDIES. 529 



Bometimes seen Southerly Trade Winds continue for a long time, and also 

 Northerly-winds; and we have seen, owing to N.E. winds and lee currents 

 vessels from Cayenne not able to weather Barbados, and a vessel frorc 

 Antigua a month in getting to Barbados, owing to Southerly winds. 



In working to windward through any of the passages in the night time, it 

 is strongly recommended not to trust to the distance run ; for, although 

 you may have an offing of 12 miles, and you could lie up so as to make a 

 long stretch, yet, before you have gone the distance of your offing, you 

 will probably find it full time to tack from the shore. In the passages 

 lying nearly East and West, the Westerly current runs so swiftly, that, in 

 standing to the Southward on the port tack, and lying up S.E. by E., you 

 will often find that you have made little or no Easting. This has been 

 the case with several vessels leaving the South shore of Antigua ; they 

 stood on, lying up S.E. by E., which course they expected to make good, 

 and though^ perhaps to weather Point Antigua on Guadaloupe, but the 

 current deceived them, little or no Easting had been made, and they ran 

 ashore among the small kays of the Bay Mahaut, Guadaloupe, nearly due 

 South from that part of Antigua which they had left the previous evening. 



When hound to windward it is sometimes difficult to beat through the 

 passages between the islands. Of these passages, the easiest are con- 

 sidered to be between St. Vincent and Becquia, between Martinique and 

 St. Lucia, and between Antigua and Guadaloupe. The wind, in general, 

 blows a strong breeze, so that a vessel may carry double-reefed topsails, 

 courses, top-gallant sails, jib, and driver. These are the most suitable 

 sails for working the ship during the night, the weather in the passages 

 being too generally squally. If more reefs are out, you will be liable to 

 spring your masts and yards ; for, however fine the weather may appear, 

 strong and sudden gusts may come on several times in an hour. Finally, 

 too much sail is hazardous, as the squalls may head you until they blow 

 past, when you come up to your old point ; and in this way it is obvious 

 you may run a long way to leeward in carrying sail through a squall. 



General Eemarks on the Navigation op the Caribbean Sea, from 

 Leeward to Windward, by Lieut. Greevelink. 



The best way to beat up in the Caribbean Sea is still an object of dis- 

 pute among a great many European mariners ; there are some, and they 

 form the greatest number, who always prefer the Northern part ; others 

 who choose to keep in the middle between 14° and 16° of latitude ; and a 

 few, to beat up off the Southern coast, till they are able to make Antigua, 

 and run out by the channel between that island and Guadaloupe. 



The first of these methods, the one generally adopted, is evidently the 

 best ; as the South coasts of Hayti and Porto-Eico are tolerably clean, and 

 afford smooth water when the wind is to the Northward of East ; but in 

 the Hurricane months, this part is rendered unfavourable, not only by 

 these dangerous visitors, but also because the currents are then often very 



i^. A. 0. 68 



