TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 



81 



CHAPTER IV. 



VOYAGE FROM GIBRALTAR TO MADEIRA, AND 

 ACROSS THE ATLANTIC OCEAN TO RIO DE 

 JANEIRO. 



On the 3d of June, at noon, we left the bay of 

 Gibraltar, accompanied by above fifty vessels of 

 various sizes, which, like ourselves, had waited for 

 a favourable wind to proceed from the strait 

 into the ocean. There was a fresh east wind, and 

 our vessel, which was a remarkably quick sailer, 

 soon got the start of all the other ships. In an 

 hour we had already doubled the most easterly 

 point of Cabo Carnero, and were in the middle of 

 the strait where the two continents are only a few 

 miles from each other. The current ftom the 

 west is here very remarkable, and every experi- 

 enced eye readily perceives its effects on ships 

 coming from the ocean. According to the gene- 

 ^ ral opinion, it runs from four to five leagues in 

 an hour, which are therefore deducted from the 

 ship's reckoning in sailing out. While we pro- 

 ceeded over the dark green waters of the strait, 

 the Spanish coast appeared in a blue mist; we 

 could clearly distinguish two chains of mountains 

 running from the E.N.E. to W.S.W. The most 



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