APPENDIX, No. I. 



69 



W., and, after the day broke, we had several tacks 

 to make before reaching the anchorage, within the 

 island of Perico. 



After entering the bay, we were not much influ- 

 enced by currents. From what we saw and heard 

 it appeared to be essentia, on working into Pana- 

 ma, to keep on the eastern side, where the wind is 

 moderate, the water smooth, and there is no cur- 

 rent ; whereas, on the western side, the breeze is 

 too strong, there is a short sea, and generally a 

 drain of current setting out to seaward. 



NO. XII. 



GENERAL REMARKS ON THE WINDS AND WEATHER, 



AND THE NAVIGATION OF THE SOUTH-WEST 



COAST OF MEXICO. 



On the south-west coast of Mexico, the fair 

 season, or what is called the summer, though the 

 latitude be north, is from December to May inclu- 

 sive. During this interval alone it is advisable to 

 navigate the coast, for in the winter, from June to 

 November inclusive, every part of it is liable to 

 hard gales, tornadoes, or heavy squalls, to calms, 

 to constant deluges of rain, and the most danger- 

 ous lightning ; added to which, almost all parts of 

 the coast are, at this time, so unhealthy, as to be 

 abandoned by the inhabitants. At the eastern end 

 of this range of coast, about Panama, the winter 

 sets in earlier than at San Bias, which lies at the 

 western end. Rains and sickness are looked for 

 early in March at Panama ; but at San Bias, rain 

 seldom falls before the 15th of June; sometimes, 

 however, it begins on the .1st of Jnne, as we 

 experienced. Of the intermediate coast I have 

 no exact information, except that December, 

 January, and February, are fine months every- 

 where ; and that, with respect to the] range ;be- 

 tween Acapulco to Panama, the months of March, 

 April, and half of May, are also fine — at all other 

 times the coast navigation may be generally de- 

 scribed as dangerous, and on every account to be 

 avoided. 



From December to May inclusive, the prevalent 

 winds between Panama and Cape Blanco de 

 Nicoya are N.W. and northerly. From thence to 

 Realejo and Sonsonate N.E. and easterly. At 

 this season off the Gulfs of Papagayo and Teco- 

 antepec there blow hard gales, the first being 

 generally N.E., and the latter north. These, if 

 not too strong, as they sometimes are, greatly 

 accelerate the passages to the westward — they last 

 for several days together, with a clear sky over- 

 head, and a dense red haze near the horizon. We 

 experienced both in the Conway in February, 

 1822. The first, which was off Papagayo on the 

 the 12th, carried us two hundred and thirty miles 

 to the W.N.W. ; but the gale we met on cross- 

 ing the Gulf of Tecoantepec, on the 24th, 25th, 

 and 26th, was so hard that we could show no sail, 

 and were drifted off to the S.S.W. more than 

 a hundred miles. A ship ought to be well pre- 

 pared on these occasions, for the gale is not only 

 severe, but the sea, which rises quickly, is un- 

 commonly high and short, so as to strain a ship 

 exceedingly. 



From Acapulco to San Bias what are called 



land and sea-breezes blow : but as far as my 

 experience goes, during the whole of March they 

 scarcely deserve that name. They are described 

 as blowing from N.W. and West during the day, 

 and from N.E. at night; whence it might be 

 inferred, that a shift of wind, amounting to eight 

 points, takes place between the day and night 

 breezes. But during the whole distance between 

 Acapulco and San Bias, together with about a 

 hundred miles East of Acapulco, which we worked 

 along, hank for hank, we never found, or very 

 rarely, that a greater shift could be reckoned on 

 than four points. With this, however, and the 

 greatest diligence, a daily progress of from thirty 

 to fifty miles may be made. 



Such being the general state of the winds on 

 this coast, it is necessary to attend to the 

 following directions for making a passage from the 

 eastward. 



On leaving Panama for Realejo or Sonsonate, 

 come out direct to the north-westward of the Isla 

 del Rey — keep from twenty to thirty leagues off 

 the shore as far as Cape Blanco de Nicoya, and 

 on this passage advantage must be taken of 

 every shift of wind to get to the north-westward. 

 From Cape Blanco hug the shore, in order to 

 take advantage of the north-easterly winds which 

 prevail close in. If a Papagayo (as the strong 

 breeze out of that gulf is called) be met with, the 

 passage to Sonsonate becomes very short. 



From Sonsonate to Acapulco keep at the distance 

 of twenty, or at most thirty leagues from the coast. 

 We met with very strong currents running to the 

 eastward at this part of the passage ; but whether 

 by keeping farther in or farther out we should 

 have avoided them, I am unable to say. The 

 above direction is that usually held to be the best 

 by the old coasters. 



If, when off the Gulf of Tecoantepec, any of the 

 hard breezes which go by that name should come 

 off, it is advisable, if sail can be carried, to ease 

 the sheets off, and run well to the westward, with- 

 out seeking to make northing ; westing being, at 

 all stages of that passage, by far the most difficult 

 to accomplish. On approaching Acapulco the 

 shore should be got hold of, and the land and sea- 

 breezes turned to account. 



This passage in summer is to be made by taking 

 advantage of the difference in direction between 

 the winds in the night and the winds in the day. 

 During some months, the land-winds, it is said, 

 come more off the land than at others, and that 

 the sea-breezes blow more directly on shore ; but 

 in March we seldom found a greater difference than 

 four points ; and to profit essentially by this small 

 change, constant vigilance and activity are indis- 

 pensable. The sea-breeze sets in, with very little 

 variation as to time, about noon, or a little before, 

 and blows with more or less strength till the 

 evening. It was usually freshest at two o'clock ; 

 gradually fell after four ; and died away as the sun 

 went down. The land-breeze was by no means so 

 regular as to its periods or its force. Sometimes 

 it came off in the first watch, but rarely before 

 midnight, and often not till the morning, and was 

 then generally light and uncertain. The principal 

 point to be attended to in this navigation is, to 

 have the ship so placed at the setting in of the 

 sea-breeze, that she shall be able to make use of 

 the whole of it on the larboard tack, before closing 



