NOTES ON BRAZIL. 



27 



their being brought from the land by a North-west wind, which then 

 began to blow fresh, but wondered at the distance to which they had 

 been wafted. They were the precursors of one of the most durable gales 

 which I ever experienced ; it lasted ten days, with more or less violence, 

 during which we drifted to 36|° South. 



The form of the Southern Hemisphere certainly cannot be deter- 

 mined by merely sailing upon its oceans ; nor am 1 at all qualified to 

 enter upon the discussion of such a subject, and mention it only as a 

 matter which has excited my curiosity. Yet there are several circum- 

 stances which seem to indicate that the Southern Seas are deeper than the 

 Northern ; and not only the excess of water and deficiency of land, 

 differing greatly from each other in specific gravity, but also the superior 

 quantity of ice, and the more moderate degree of temperature in the 

 atmosphere, present some foundation for conjecture that the Southern 

 semi-axis of the world is the longest. 



Sailors, or at least persons fit to be entrusted with the care of a 

 vessel, and to have the direction of her course, must necessarily look 

 every day to the heavens ; and may be allowed, without presumption, 

 to extend their views even to distant spheres. I have been frequently 

 surprised at the fact that nearly all such mistake the Magellanic Clouds ; 

 and instead of the Nebulse, distinguished by that name among Astro- 

 nomers, point to two black patches, which are much larger than the 

 Nebulas themselves. They are so black as to be distinctly visible by 

 every one ; and naturally prompt us to ask, how is it that these obscure 

 spots exist ? — how it is that in these parts of the heavens there should be 

 such an obvious and Avell defined absence of light ? — Avhence comes the 

 luminous hue so generally diffused as to render these patches remarkable? 

 They exhibit no stars to the naked eye^ and very few are visible with a 

 small telescope. Some of a similar kind, but of smaller extent, and 

 various in their degree of blackness, exist in the Southern half of the 

 Via Lactea itself; while nothing like them, that I have been able to 

 notice, is found among the Northern Constellations. Surely they deserve 



a more accurate notice, and a deeper investigation, from the learned. 



D 2 



