1832.] 
WINDS. 
389 
apples, sugarcane, potatoes, yams,_ and cotton, with numerous 
goats and hogs. Most of the islands in the cluster are consider- 
ably elevated, and vessels can run between them with safety if 
the weather be clear ; as it is supposed that there are no hidden 
dangers around them, though breakers are visible at a considerable 
distance. 
The morning when these islands were expected to be seen 
from the deck of the Potomac, was too thick for that purpose, 
though the wind was blowing fresh. The frigate entered the 
passage at the rate of ten knots; when the" wind suddenly came 
out ahead, and took the ship aback. She was got off with diffi- 
culty, and filled away, when the wind had increased to almost a 
gale. On she dashed, without making either of the islands, 
though but a short distance from them, and entered the great 
Pacific with increasing velocity. 
The threatening appearances, which had disfigured the atmo- 
sphere, softened in their aspect, and passed away, as the Potomac 
left the Chinese Sea behind her ; and her sails in due time were 
filled with the welcome northeast tradewind, favoured by whose 
friendly influence the frigate now shaped her course across the 
broad Pacific, towards the well-known Sandwich Islands. As' 
nothing of interest occurred to relieve the tedious monotony of 
this passage of fifty days, we cannot, perhaps, better beguile the 
time than by recording the result of our observations on the pre- 
vailing winds of this interesting region of the globe ; especially 
as we have just attached some importance to the northeast trade- 
wind, which was expected to accompany the Potomac on her 
long and lonely route of ten thousand miles ! 
Those aerial currents which are called winds, are naturally 
distinguished into two kinds, constant and variable. The former, 
which are better known by the name of tradewmds, prevail, with 
little exception, between the tropics ; and, like the great equato- 
rial current of the ocean, circulate round the globe from east to 
west. They extend to about thirty degrees on each side of the 
equator, and blow with a steady breeze, almost the whole year, 
from an eastern to a western quarter of the heavens, where their ' 
course is not mterrupted by land. Their direction, however, de- 
clines several degrees from due east and west, corresponding to 
the declination of the sun, either north or south. 
