30 



POKTER^S JOURNAL. 



I at that time had a view of twenty-five miles to the west- 

 ward, and am enabled to state positively, that the island of 

 Penedro de St. Pedro, or St. Pauls, does not exist between 

 the latitudes of 55' and T 20' north, and the longitudes of 

 27" and 29° 40' west. I had, however, to regret, a few hours 

 afterwards, that I did not extend the search farther, as a 

 large flock of gulls, and other birds that frequent the shores 

 every night, convinced me that I was in the neighbourhood 

 of land. 



In our run from the latitude of 1 0" north, we have con- 

 stantly experienced a current setting to the northward and 

 westward, at the rate of from twelve to eighteen miles in 

 twenty-four hours, which was found to be strongest as we 

 approached the equator, but less inclining to the westward. 

 This current, at this season of the year, seems diflicult to 

 account for, if we do not attribute it to the effects of the 

 strong S. E. trades to the south of the line, and this seems 

 admissible. The S. E. trades, when the sun is in the tro- 

 pic of Capricorn, may be supposed to extend as far south as 

 the latitude of 28° or 30", propelling a current of water to- 

 ward the coast of Brazils. It there follows the obliquity of 

 the east coast, and flows off to the northward and eastward, 

 until it meets the E. and N. E. trades to the north of the 

 line, which, when at the latitude of 6" or 10", changes its 

 course from the northward and eastward to the northward 

 and westward. As it proceeds farther north it becomes 

 more affected by the trades, and at length takes their course, 

 and flows with the other waters borne down by them 

 through the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico, following 

 the direction of the continent, until it finds an outlet be- 

 tween the Bahama Islands and the coast of Florida, pro- 

 ducing that current on the coast of North America, known 

 by the name of the Gulf Stream. The currents to the 

 soutji of Cape Frio may be supposed, from the same cause, 

 to take a southwesterly direction, losing themselves in the 

 southern ocean. The observations made by different navi- 

 gators seem to authorize this belief. Bougainville, on the 

 east coast of Brazil, experienced a northeast current ; and, 

 speaking of the current generally on the coast of Brazil, he 

 says, " the S. E, currents that navigators have experienced 

 on this coast are subject to variations, and sometimes take a 

 contrary direction;" and again, "it appears that in those 



