BETWEEN EUROPE AND NEW YORK, ETC. 54» 



These two tables give the mean track and time occupied by the best 

 six of each of the sailing passages discussed as proceeding from Europe 

 to America, and from America to Europe. The ports on the European 

 side are London, Liverpool, Havre, and a few from the Clyde, Hamburg, 

 &c. The last column gives the total duration of the voyage, and the 

 intermediate day columns the time occupied in sailing between the respec- 

 tive meridians 5° apart. 



But these six best passages of course are considerably below the 

 average length of the ordinary voyages, which may be briefly stated aa 

 follows : — 



Europe to America. — January, 19 to 82 days ; mean of all, 40-1 days. 

 ^February, 21 to 52 days ; mean, 33-5 days. March, 21^ to 42 days ; 

 mean, 31*5 days. April, 24 to 43 days; mean, 33-7 days. May, 18 to 47 

 days ; mean, 32-0 days. June, 29 to 54 days ; mean, 36-7 days. July, 

 31 to 45 days ; mean, 36*8 days. August, 22 to 46^ days ; mean, 331 

 days. September, 23 to 40 days ; mean, 29-1 days. October, 18J to 46 

 days ; mean, 31-0 days. November, 28 to 53^ days ; mean, 37-2 days. 

 December, 27f to 48 days ; mean, 37-6 days. 



America to Europe. — January, 17 to 28 days ; mean, 21-0 days. Feb- 

 ruary, 16 to 28 days ; mean, 22*6 days. March, 16 to 28 days ; mean, 

 22 days. April, 12 to 28 days ; mean, 22*5 days. May, 18 to 28 days ; 

 mean, 23-2 days. June, 19 to 28 days; mean, 22-5 days. July, 17 to 27 

 days ; mean, 21-5 days. August, 20 to 28^ days ; mean, 24-1 days. Sep- 

 tember, 16 to 29 days ; mean, 23-1 days. October, 16 to 27 days ; mean, 

 21-9 days. November, 17 to 26 days ; mean, 22-0 days. December, 

 15 to 28 days ; mean, 21-2 days. 



These figures will show with how much more certainty the Eastern 

 voyage is made, with the Anti-Trade Winds and Easterly Currents in its 

 favour, than the average Western voyage with their adverse influences to 

 retard and embarrass it. Upon this subject see the remarks on the 

 Atmosphere, pages 108 — 124, and also those by Captain Toynbee (108) to 

 (113), pages 177 — 181. The progress of Storms across the Atlantic ia 

 described in (114) to (133), pages 181—203. 



11.— STEAM TRACKS TO AND FROM AMERICA. 



The continually increasing amount of collision, which advanced much 

 beyond the ratio of the use of steam, led to many plans for averting it, but 

 apparently without a corresponding effect in adopting them.* The terrors 

 of this danger in the open sea are manifest, and many sad examples are 

 too well known not to induce caution — one, that of the American mail- 

 steamer Arctic striking the French steamer Vesta, near Cape Race, in 

 October, 1854, led our American friends to consider whether some means 



• A great safeguard would be legislative euactment against high speed during fog, 

 heavy rain, or snow : — authorizing a majority/ of passengers to make objection ; to 

 inspect, note, and sign the log, before disembarking ; and, by a quorum, to give subse- 

 quent e'S'idence. — Admiral Fitzroy, Meteorological Papers, 1858. 



