LAND AND SEA BREEZES DESCRIBED BY DAMPIER. 



35 



They were originally imported from Africa ; but 

 in the course of time they have become a mixed 

 race with the aborigines, and thus, also, may pos- 

 ' sibly partake of a slight dash of Spanish blood. 

 The result, however, is a very fine race of men : 

 they retain the sleek glossy skin, the dark tint of 

 the negro, and his thick lip ; along with which we 

 now see the smaller form, the higher forehead, 

 prominent cheek-bone, the smaller eye, and the 

 straight hair of the Mexicans ; together with many 

 other mingled traits which a closer observation 

 would be able to discriminate, but which a stranger 

 is merely conscious of seeing without his being 

 able to define exactly in what the peculiarities 

 consist. It may be remarked, that, in the Spanish 

 Transatlantic possessions, we find a greater variety 

 of intermixtures or crosses of the human species 

 than are met with in Europe, or, perhaps, in any 

 other part of the world. The tribes of Indians, in 

 the first place, are numerous, and distinct from one 

 another ; the Spaniards themselves differ in depth 

 of colour, and in figure, according to their several 

 provinces ; and, lastly, the African differs from that 

 of the whole. Humboldt, in his usual distinct 

 and satisfactory manner, (New Spain, Book II. 

 Chap. VI.) has classed the various shades of 

 colour resulting from the admixture of these dif- 

 ferent people. 



I dined to-day with our friend the young Spa- 

 niard, and met at his house the Minister, as the 

 chief civil authority is called, and three other gen- 

 tlemen ; being very nearly the whole society of 

 Acapulco. I had been desirous of meeting these 

 gentlemen, in order to learn something of the state 

 of the country, but discovered that they knew ex- 

 tremely little of what was going on, owing to the 

 very confined intercourse kept up between this 

 port and the capital, or indeed any other part of 

 the country. The truth is, that with the exception 

 of its splendid harbour, Acapulco is, commercially 

 speaking, an insignificant place, and has been so 

 ever since the days of the galleons. It is not well 

 situated for commerce, as the country lying be- 

 tween it and Mexico is difficult to cross, and is 

 not rich either in agricultural produce, or in mines. 

 The town, at present, consists of not more than 

 thirty houses, with a large suburb of huts, built of 

 reeds, wattled, in open basket-work to give admis- 

 sion to the air. It is guarded by an extensive and 

 formidable fortress, called the Castle of San Carlos, 

 standing on a height, commanding the whole har- 

 bour. The inhabitants told us, when we expressed 

 our surprise at the smallness of the town, that 

 the greater part of it had been shaken down by 

 an earthquake. If this be true, the people have 

 been uncommonly careful in removing the mate- 

 rials, for not a trace remained, that we could see, 

 of any ruins. 



In the course of a long walk, which our party 

 took after dinner, an earthquake was felt. We 

 were walking slowly along, when the gentlemen 

 stopped, and one of them seeing us look surprised 

 at their doing so, cried out, " Temblor!" (earth- 

 quake.) A sound, like distant thunder, was then 

 heard for about a quarter of a minute, but it was 

 impossible to say from whence it proceeded ; and, 

 although conscious that there was something un- 

 usual in the noise, I cannot say exactly in what 

 respect it was particular. The residents declared 

 that they felt the tremor, but none of us were sen- 



sible of any motion. This was the fifth occasion 

 since my arrival in the country, on which I had 

 been present at earthquakes, without ever feeling 

 any of them in the slightest degree. 



On the 1 2th of March, we sailed from Acapulco 

 for San Bias de California, so named, from its 

 lying near that country, and in order to distin- 

 guish it from other Mexican towns of the same 

 name. Although the distance from Acapulco to 

 San Bias is no more than five hundred miles, it 

 cost us sixteen days to make the passage. This 

 was owing to the prevalent winds of the coast at 

 this season of the year being from the north-west- 

 ern quarter. The weather, however, was extremely 

 fine, though very hot in the middle of the day. In 

 most tropical climates, near the shore, there pre- 

 vail what are called land and sea breezes, which, if 

 properly taken advantage of, greatly assist naviga- 

 tion on the coasts where they are found. During 

 certain hours of the day, the wind blows from the 

 sea towards the shore, and during the greater part 

 of the night, it blows from the land. The navigator, 

 whose object is to make his way along the coast, 

 takes advantage of these changes, by placing his 

 ship at night-fall so close to the shore, that he may 

 profit by the first puff of the land-wind ; and after- 

 wards steers such a course throughout the night, 

 that, by the time the land-wind dies away, the ship 

 shall have reached that degree of offing, or distance 

 from the coast, which it is most advantageous to 

 be placed in, when the sea-breeze of the next day 

 begins. Both these winds are modified to a cer- 

 tain extent in their direction by the winds which 

 prevail on the coast, at a distance beyond the in- 

 fluence of these diurnal variations. Thus we found 

 both the land and the sea-breeze always disposed 

 to have more north-westing in them, than, in 

 strictness, they ought to have had ; that is, than 

 they would have had in a situation where no such 

 general cause prevailed in their neighbourhood. 

 It was owing to this circumstance that our passage 

 was so much retarded. 



The most exact description that I have anywhere 

 met with of these remarkable winds, is written by 

 Dampier, one of the most pleasing and most faith- 

 ful of voyagers ; and, as the passage is in a part 

 of his works not generally read except by pro- 

 fessional men, I am tempted to insert it. 



" These sea-breezes do commonly rise in the 

 morning about nine o'clock, sometimes sooner, 

 sometimes later ; they first approach the shore so 

 gently, as if they were afraid to come near it, and 

 ofttimes they make some faint breathings, and, as 

 if not willing to offend, they make a halt, and seem 

 ready to retire. I have waited many a time, both 

 ashore to receive the pleasure, and at sea to take 

 the benefit of it. 



" It comes in a fine small black curl upon the 

 water, whereas all the sea between it and the shore, 

 not yet reached by it, is as smooth and even as 

 glass in comparison. In half an hour's time after 

 it has reached the shore, it fans pretty briskly, and 

 so increaseth, gradually, till twelve o'clock ; then it 

 is commonly strongest, and lasts so till two or 

 three a very brisk gale ; about twelve at noon 

 it also veers off' to sea two or three points, or 

 more in very fair weather. After three o'clock, 

 it begins to die away again, and gradually with- 

 draws its force till all is spent, and about five 

 o'clock, sooner or later, according as the weather 



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