CAPE HORN. 75 



wind for several days. The third, was twenty-nine days from 

 Lat. 50° 48' S. Long. 61° W. in the Atlantic, to Lat. 45° 5' S. 

 Long. 80° 17' W. She reached as far as 59° 7' south latitude. 

 This vessel experienced some heavy gales, but had the advan- 

 tage of easterly winds for several days. 



The United States Ship Brandywine doubled Cape Horn in 

 December 1826. She was thirty-seven days from Rio de Ja- 

 neiro to Valparaiso, and went as far as 58° S. The United 

 States Ship Guerriere doubled the Cape in May 1829. She 

 went as far as 58° 37' south, and had very little easterly wind. 

 She was sixty days from Rio de Janeiro to Valparaiso. The 

 United States Ship Falmouth doubled the Cape in October 

 1831. She was forty-nine days from Rio de Janeiro to Valpa- 

 raiso, and went as far as 62° 5' south latitude. 



The commander of an English whale ship, who has doubled 

 the Cape eighteen times, (four times in the month of March, 

 when he found the wind prevailing from the eastward) recom- 

 mends the month of March to enter the Pacific, and November 

 to return. 



The master of an American merchant ship, who has doubled 

 the Cape eight times, thinks it advisable, in case of strong head 

 winds, ^<to lay to" under Staten Land, and there wait for a 

 favorable opportunity. 



From all we can learn, it seems advisable not to pass through 

 the Straits La Mair ; to keep close in with the land, say within 

 twenty or thirty miles ; not to go south of 57° ; and not to at- 

 tempt to decrease the latitude, until in the meridian of 85° W., 

 no matter how promising the appearances of the weather may 

 be. The reasons given for this course are ; first, though the 

 winds be mostly from the westward, they are not constantly 

 from that quarter ; second, that the gales are not so severe near 

 the land, and do not blow home ; third, that there are no cur- 

 rents setting on shore ; and fourth, by not being too far south, 

 advantage may be taken of a favorable wind, that, in a few 

 hours, might carry the vessel beyond the parallel of the Cape, 

 which would be unavailing, if the ship should be as far as 63° 

 S. — as has been recommended — because these winds do not al- 

 ways last long enough to carry a vessel many hundred miles. 



