Ch.il south AMERICA. 149 



height of Malpelo and from thence E. and E. S. 

 E. to Cape St. Francis, inclining fomething towards 

 Gorgona. From Cape St, Francis their diredlion is 

 S. and S. W. which continues for 30 or 40 leagues 

 feawards, the ftrength of them being proportionate to 

 that of the brifas. 



During the feafon of the fures, or fouth winds, the 

 currents run N. and N. W. from Punta de Santa 

 Elena, as far as Cape St. Francis, extending thirty or 

 forty leagues feawards from hence they run with a 

 great velocity eaft, as far as the meridian of Malpelo ; 

 and from Morro de Puercos S. E. along the coaft, 

 though at fome diftance from it, and tending partly to 

 the bay of Gorgona, But from the meridian of Mal- 

 pelo to Morro de Puercos, they run with great vio- < 

 lence N. W. and W. Alfo in the paffage from Cape 

 Blanco to Cape Santa Elena, a violent current runs 

 weft from the river of Guayaquil, during its fwellings ; 

 but when the river is low, the current fets into Puna- 

 bay : the time of the former is during the brifas, and 

 the latter in the feafon of the fures. 



At all times, in leaving Perico to fail to Guayaquil, 

 or the coaft of Peru, care muft be taken to keep at a 

 proper diftance from the iQand of Gorgona, many in- 

 ftances having happened of fhips being loft, either by 

 this negligence, or, more frequently, by calms. It is 

 alfo equally neceftary to be careful of the iftand of 

 Malpelo ; but the latter is of the two the leaft dan- 

 gerous, as the greateft detriment is only a longer de- 

 lay of the voyage. 



If a ftiip happens to come in fight of the ifland of 

 Gorgona, it will be found very difficult to get clear of 

 it by fteering either S. S. W. or even N. To that the 

 fureft method is to return towards Panama along the 

 coaft, the currents there changing their direction ; at 

 the fame time taking care not to keep at a great dif- 

 tance from it, to avoid being again carried away by 

 the current, which fets S. E. 



L 3 The 



