1o the Strait of Magellan* 



9 



ing and the true situation of that coast. He had ascertained 

 his place by the chart of M. Belli n, tlie correctness of which, 

 on that coast, we had reason to testify. 



On the other hand, ships returning to Europe, which pass 

 always to the westward of that meridian, find the errors in their 

 accounts to be constantly to tiie westward of the truth. Sooie 

 instances might also be mentioned of vessels which found little 

 or no errors in their reckonings which could be attributed to 

 the setting of the waters, because they had passed at or near 

 the meridian of Teneriffe. 



The breezes continued from the eastward until we had 

 reached south latitude 18^, when we experienced their usual 

 change, viz. that as we advanced in south latitude, they veer- 

 ed round more and more to E. and NE. which enabled us with- 

 out any difficulty to pass Cape St. Augustine; and to cross 

 without apprehension the parallel of the Abrojos, notwithstand- 

 ing that the currents had set considerably to the westward, as 

 we could easily perceive by our observations for ascertaining 

 the longitude. In south latitude 22^ 45', these winds failed us; 

 .and, which is worthy of notice, at the same time also ceased 

 the setting of the currents towards the W, . for two days we 

 had winds from S. and SW., but they afterwards returned to 

 the NE. 



On the 21st November fell in with the ship Los Placeres, be^ 

 longing to the i)ew Company of the Philippine Islands, which 

 sent her boat on-board of us as soon as we were within her 

 reach. She had sailed from Cadiz on the 1st October for Lima, 

 and had crossed the Equinoctial two days later, and two or three 

 degrees more to tlie eastward, than we had done. Her reckon- 

 ing, corrected for currents to the W., agreed with our account 

 deduced from our observations of lunar distances by the time- 

 pieces. We steered a little more easterly than she did ; aiid, 

 from our siiperiority in sailing, next day lost sight of her. 



. In south latitude 3 <^ 45' the wind began to veer round i)y the 

 N. and W. to the SW. quarter. Experience has shown, that, 

 in these latitudes, and in the neighbourhood of the coast of 

 Brasil, when the wind has been at NE. and draws roqnd by 

 the N. to the W., it never fails to arrive at the SW., from 

 which point it blows with the greatest violence. These last 

 winds are commonly called Pamperos, as proceeding from, or 

 over, the immense plaiiis or Pair) pas, adjacent to the Kiver de 

 Plata in South ^^merica. 



From latitqde 13^ 5' to latitude 4 1*', the longitude indicated 

 by the time-pieces was constantly 2^ or to the W. of that 

 drawn from our reckoning; but after that parallel (41^,) in 

 which the winds began to blow from the NW. and SW. (juar- 



yoYAG£s and Trayelsj No^ 5, Vol, 11. c 



