TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 115 



all at once, and it seemed to have disappeared en- 

 tirely. While we were indulging in the most vari- 

 ous conjectures, the boat rowed happily through 

 the night, constantly attentive to the supposed dan- 

 ger, and returned safe the next morning to the 

 frigate, with intelligence that the fancied break- 

 ers, arose merely from the agitation and the re- 

 flection of a violent current. 



Such currents, setting to the west, which probably 

 depend on the revolution of the earth round its 

 axis, as well as on the constant east winds, prevail 

 from ^7° west longitude of Greenwich almost 

 the whole year through, from the equator to the 

 fourth and fifth degree of northern latitude, and 

 also, though less constantly, in the lowest southern 

 latitudes. Ships bound to the south which cross 

 the equator too far to the west, are carried by 

 them towards Cabo de S. Roque in Brazil, and 

 suffer a considerable loss of time, because it is very 

 difficult to pass round that cape to the south, 

 against the current setting to the north. Besides 

 this current about the Cabo de S. Roque, a pretty 

 regular one has been observed along the eastern 

 coast of Brazil, which depends on the direction of 

 the wind. In September, and the following 

 months till March, winds from the N. by E. to N.E. 

 by E. prevail ; and in the months from March to 

 September, on the other hand, those from the E. 

 by N. to E. S. E. ; and in conformity with this 

 change of the winds, a current runs to the north 



T ^> 



