STEAM TEACKS TO AND FEOM AMERICA. 551 



the Banks near their greatest width, 275 miles. If a steamer be crossing 

 there in a fog, and in doubt as to her position, she can judge, by their 

 breadth and the soundings, pretty nearly as to latitude. For instance, if 

 the breadth of the Banks, when crossed, be less than 275 miles, but the 

 soundings not less than 40 fathoms, the vessel has crossed the Bank to the 

 North of the Lane ; but if she find herself in less than 30 fathoms, then 

 she has crossed to the South of it. Should she, howe-ver, find herself in 

 water that suddenly shoals to less than 20 fathoms, and as suddenly 

 deepens again, then she is near the Virgin Rocks, or the rock and Nine- 

 fathom Bank to the Bast of them, and her pos-ition is immediately 

 known. x 



" It should be recollected, however, that these Lanes are not channel- 

 ways in which steamers must keep or be lost. Gales of wind, Ice, and 

 other things, will now and then force a steamer out of them, and in such 

 cases she will then be in no more danger than she is now ; only when she 

 gets back into the Lane she will be in less. 



" You will doubtless observe the advantageous position of the fork to 

 Halifax, in the Lane from Europe. As this Lane approaches Newfound- 

 land, it edges off to the South in such a manner as to render it impossible 

 for a vessel so to miss her way as to get ashore. Suppose a steamei 

 attempting this Lane to be, when she nears the Grand Banks, 100 miles 

 out in position (a most extravagant case), and that she be out on the New 

 foundland side, she would, if behaving properly, be steering parallel with 

 the Lane, and if bound to New York, she would go clear of Cape Race. 

 But she might be bound for Halifax, and by steering West too soon, might 

 run upon the land ; but recollect that the Lane to Halifax turns off on 

 soundings, and a West course from where the Lane from England strikes 

 soundings on the Grand Banks will take you clear of everything. So 

 without the most gross neglect of the lead and all proper precautions, 

 which it is the duty of the shipmaster to take, it would seem impossible 

 for him to run his steamer into danger here. 



" In the longitude of the Grand Banks, the Lane to Europe is 200 miles 

 South of the Lane to America. As a rule, this Lane for the Eastern 

 bound steamers can be followed always, admitting that an exception now 

 and then in practice will make the rule general. It will be observed that 

 this Lane runs E. 15° S. from Sandy Hook to the meridian of 70°, where 

 it takes a course E. 12° N., towards its junction with the arc of a Great 

 Circle, South of the Grand Banks. Though the distance by this Lane, 

 from Sandy Hook to this junction, is a few miles longer than the direct 

 line, yet on account of the Gulf Stream it is in time the shortest distance 

 that a steamer can take. From the Capes of Delaware it is obviously the 

 shortest. 



" I will close this report with a recapitulation as to distances and 

 courses by each Lane, between New York, Halifax, and Philadelphia, on 

 one side, and Cape Clear and the Scilly Isles on the other ; first begging 

 leave to say that, according to my computation, founded on such statistics 

 as I have, touching the velocity of the Gulf Stream, if two steamers bound 

 for Cape Clear, and of exactly equal speed, were to start from Halifax, 

 to see which should first get into the Great Circle part of the Lane to 



