38 PASSAGE FROM MADEIRA 
Peacock and Porpoise were very near running into each other. 
The whirl was in the direction of the hands of a watch. On the 
night of the 16th we parted company with the Peacock, and on the 
17th spoke an English whaler, seventy days from New Zealand, by 
the way of Cape Horn, who reported he had lost the southeast 
trades in latitude 6° 55' N., longitude 21° 10' W. 
On the morning of the 18th thirty falling stars were seen in as 
many minutes, shooting in all directions from the constellations 
Gemini and Taurus. On board the Peacock, some sixty miles to 
the westward of us, they were much more brilliant and in greater 
numbers. 
On the 22d several land birds were seen about the vessels. They 
proved to be the common European swallow. 
The 24th we reached the position assigned to Warley's Shoal, in 
latitude 5° 4' N., longitude 21° 25' W. The vessels were spread 
as before described, in open order, covering as much space as 
possible. We passed over the supposed locality, but saw no 
appearance of shoal water, or danger of any kind. Here we 
experienced westerly winds, and took advantage of them to make 
easting. After we had lost the trades in latitude 12° N., I ob- 
served when the upper stratum of clouds could be seen, that they 
were passing from east-northeast, with rapidity to the westward. 
We now ran for the French Shoal, in latitude 4° 5' N., longitude 
20° 35' W. Here the wind inclined to the southward, and we pro- 
ceeded as far east as longitude 13° W., passing over the two positions 
laid down by the French and English hydrographers, but saw 
nothing of it. 
We now tacked to the southward, to cross the equator in lon- 
gitude 17° W. The weather had changed, the rains which we 
had experienced at night ceased, and the extremely indistinct 
atmosphere which at times had prevailed for the last fortnight, 
disappeared. It is difficult to describe the peculiar effect this hazi- 
ness produced. It seemed to me an effect the opposite of that of 
looming, apparently diminishing all objects. Although the horizon 
was seen, yet the sea and sky were so blended together that it was 
difficult for the eye to fix upon or define it at any moment. It was 
impossible to use the dip sector. At the same time it was perfectly 
clear over head, with a bright sun, and the upper cirrus clouds, 
when seen, were in rapid motion to the westward. 
The quantity of rain that fell between 9° 30' and 5° north lati- 
