CURRENTS AND WHALING. 469 



with ice. This circumstance was remarked by Commodore Wads- 

 worth when commanding the Vincennes on a former cruise, and as I 

 learn from him, a French man-of-war was about the same time com- 

 pelled to go far to the eastward of the Falkland Islands in order to 

 avoid the ice, a necessity which he avoided by keeping close to the 

 Patagonian coast, which at such seasons is the safest route. That ice 

 is thus carried far north into the Atlantic, we had in our voyage a 

 sufficient proof; for every thing indicated our near approach to ice in 

 longitude 54° 30' W., and in latitude as low as 39° S. 



The great space in the middle of the South Atlantic is affected by 

 no more than temporary and partial currents. In particular, near the 

 island of St. Helena, little or no current is ever experienced. This is 

 rendered certain by the fact that vessels, which, in striving to reach it, 

 have fallen to leeward, find no difficulty in beating up. The following 

 directions for reaching the island are found both in Horsburgh and 

 Purdy. 



"Before the use of chronometers and lunar observations, navigators 

 were directed, in running for St. Helena, to fall into its parallel fifty or 

 sixty leagues eastward of it, to lie by in the night, and steer west in 

 the day till they made the land : this practice is no longer requisite, for 

 most of the East India ships, homeward-bound, steer now a direct 

 course from the Cape to St. Helena, and make the island by day or 

 night : as they generally know the longitude within a few miles of the 

 truth, there can be little danger of missing it, although this is barely 

 possible, the body and leeward part of the island being frequently 

 enveloped in fog clouds, particularly in the night. Should a ship, in 

 such a case, fall a little to leeward, she will seldom find any difficulty 

 in working up to the anchorage, unless she sail indifferently upon a 

 wind, for the current seldom runs strong to leeward near this island : 

 this, however, may happen when the trade blows strong, with squalls, 

 for a few days, which is sometimes experienced about the full and 

 change of the moon : but this lee-current is generally of short con- 

 tinuance. In time of war, when any of the enemy's cruisers visit 

 St. Helena, they keep to the eastward and southeastward of it, at the 

 distance of fifteen, twenty, and twenty-five leagues. Single ships, 

 which sail well, would avoid these cruisers, were they to make the 

 island bearing from north-northeast to east and southeast, and after- 

 wards make short tacks under the lee of it till they reach the an- 

 chorage. I have seen store-ships from England make the island, 

 bearing east-southeast, directly to windward of them, at the distance 

 of fifteen or eighteen leagues ; they sailed indifferently, but reached 

 the anchorage the third day after making the island." 



2P 



