APPENDIX, No. I. 



87 



take more than barely room for this purpose, since, 

 by lying near the shore, there will be always an 

 undertow, which relieves the sea- cable of great 

 part of the strain. Before the gale comes on, the 

 barometer, the threatening aspect of the weather, 

 and the rising swell, generally gave sufficient 

 warning. Previous to a Norther, as these gales 

 are called, the land of Concon, and that beyond it 

 to the northward, are seen with unusual sharpness 

 and distinctness. 



This passage in eighteen days may be termed 

 short. Formerly thirty days was usual, it after- 

 wards sunk to twenty-five days, and, at the period 

 of our arrival, three weeks was considered good. 

 Sir Thomas Hardy, in his Majesty's ship Creole, 

 made the passage from Huacho in something less 

 than fourteen days, the distance being more than 

 two thousand two hundred miles. This was early 

 in May 1821, and it is well worth attending to, 

 that the trade- wind was crossed with a fore-top- 

 mast studding-sail set, no regard being paid to any 

 object, but getting through the trade- wind as fast 

 as possible. The same ship, however, in February 

 and March of the following year, was twenty-eight 

 days making the passage, but this is unusually long 

 for a man-of-war. 



VALPARAISO TO CONCEPTION, BAY OP ARAL) CO, 



AND ISLAND OF MOCHA. 



1st to 2]st of October 1821. 



As the prevalent wtnds along this coast are from 

 the southward, it is necessary to take advantage of 

 every slant that will allow of southing being made, 

 and we were fortunate in meeting with a westerly 

 wind on the third day after sailing, which carried 

 us more than half the distance. The wind subse- 

 quently was South by W., which made the rest of 

 the passage to Conception almost a dead beat. We 

 arrived at Talcuhuana, in Conception Bay, on the 

 8th. During the 9th, it blew fresh from the north- 

 ward. We afterwards beat up to the Bay of 

 Arauco, and to the Island of Mocha, in 38° 1 9' 

 South, having on this occasion been favoured with 

 a south-easterly breeze, and then a southerly one 

 to stand in with. 



We endeavoured to reach Valdivia also, but the 

 wind came from South by East, and blew so hard 

 that we were obliged, for want of time, to give it 

 up. On the return passage to Valparaiso, we had 

 light north-westerly and west winds, then S.W., 

 and so to the southward, and South by East, which 

 is the most common wind. 



These particulars would seem to point out that 

 a passage may always be made to the southward ; 

 for the winds are seldom steady for twelve hours, 

 and by taking care to profit by every change, south- 

 ing must be made. 



The passage from Valparaiso to Conception is 

 generally made in ten days, which is also the usual 

 time required for a passage to Lima ; the distance, 

 however, in the first case, is two hundred and 

 twenty miles, and in the latter, thirteen hundred 

 and twenty, a circumstance which points out very 

 decidedly the direction of the prevalent winds. 



NO. VIII. 



VALPARAISO TO LIMA, CALLING AT COQTTIMno. 

 GUASCO, COPIAPO, AKICA, AND MOLLENDO. 



lath of November to 9th of December 1821. 

 (24 Days.) 



The winds during these passages along-shore 

 are always light, and from the southward, hauling 

 in from sea during the day, and freshening from off 

 the land in the night. 



Between Mollendo and Callao there is a pretty 

 steady breeze from E.S.E., with a drain of current 

 along-shore ; a remark which applies to the whole 

 coast from Valparaiso to Lima. 



A remarkable increase of the great S. W. or 

 ocean swell is observable at the full and change of 

 the moon on these coasts, especially from Arica to 

 Huacho inclusive, a circumstance which renders it 

 difficult, and sometimes impossible, to land at those 

 places. 



NO IX. 



LIMA TO PACASMAYAS, PAYTA AND 

 GUAYAQUIL. 



17th to 25th of December 1821. 



The winds between Lima and Guayaquil are 

 moderate from the southward ; at night hauling 

 to the south-eastward, and in the day from the 

 S.S.W. 



When we came off the entrance of the river of 

 Guayaquil, on the 23d of December, the wind met 

 us from N.W., and then fell calm. We were 

 obliged to anchor on the ebb, and to beat up 

 against the light northerly and northwesterly 

 winds as far as the anchorage off the N.E. end of 

 Puna. In the afternoon of the 24th, we received 

 a pilot from the town of Puna, who undertook to 

 carry us up during the night. We accordingly 

 weighed at four o'clock, and with the flood tide 

 and a light breeze from west by south, ran up in 

 the dark, and anchored at four in the morning of 

 the 25th off the town of Guayaquil. The pilots of 

 this river are expert, and appear to understand 

 their business well ; but it is quite indispensable 

 that their wishes be promptly and exactly attended 

 to, as the passages are so narrow, and the tide so 

 rapid, as to admit of no delay. Several ships 

 have been run aground, by the captain hesitating 

 to let go the anchor at the desire of the pilot. 



The passage down again was more difficult, in 

 consequence of the prevalent winds being up the 

 river. It afforded us, however, a means of becom- 

 ing acquainted, to a certain extent, with the pilot- 

 age ; and I feel assured that Mr. Foster's 

 directions, transmitted to the Admiralty, taken 

 along with the chart usually supplied, and used 

 with extreme caution, would prove sufficient, in 

 time of war for instance, or when there might be 

 some urgent necessity for a ship's going up with- 

 out a pilot. In the narrow parts of the river we 

 kedged down with the ebb, without any sail set, 

 but having a bower anchor on the ground, and 

 the cable at short stay peak ;* in this way the ship 

 was readily steered from side to side, or brought 



* See an account of this operation at page 25, ante. 

 K 2 



