90 
PORTER’S JOURNAL. 
ced to believe, that many of his observations on this matter have 
been suppressed by his editor ; and that the remark is the effect 
of national prejudice, which ever has, and ever will exist. The 
passage round Cape Horn, from the eastward, I positively assert? 
is the most dangerous, most difficult, and attended with more 
hardships, than that of the same distance, in any other part of the 
world ; and none should attempt it, without using every precau¬ 
tion to guard against accident, that prudence or foresight can 
suggest. And to this end, I would advise them, when they arrive 
in the latitude of 40° south, to prepare their ships for the tem¬ 
pestuous weather of Cape Horn ; by securing their masts by pre- 
venter-shrouds ; sending down all their light spars, studding-sail 
booms. &c.; unreaving their small rigging ; unbending their 
light sails; and reducing, as much as possible, the weight, in or¬ 
der that they may be enabled to carry a heavy press of canvas. 
They should abandon all thoughts of using their light sails, until 
they should arrive in the same latitude in the Pacific. Indeed, it 
would be advisable to provide themselves with a small set of top¬ 
sails and yards to suit them, as it will be rarely (if ever) they 
will be enabled to carry whole top-sails, and seldom their courses. 
Their storm stay-sails should be constantly bent; and if they 
have guns, no more of them should be kept on deck, than what 
would be necessary to keep the ship easy. From the latitude 40® 
south, in the Atlantic, to the Streights of Le Maire, the winds 
vary from north-west to south-east, by the west; in order there¬ 
fore to take advantage of the slants which they offer, it is ad¬ 
vise able to keep about the edge of soundings, and run with the 
wind free on that tack which most favours the course; this will 
prevent the ship from making lee-way, and the certainty of a 
change will soon enable you to recover the direct track. By 
pursuing this plan, you will be enabled by the soundings to cor¬ 
rect your reckoning, as they are marked on the charts with suf¬ 
ficient accuracy. Pass the Falkland Islands in about the longi¬ 
tude of 65° west; and, if the wind should enable you, by all means 
go through the Streights of Le Maire, which is a passage per¬ 
fectly free from all danger. Should the winds be a-head, howe¬ 
ver, it might then be advisable to go to the east of Staten Land, 
