SOUTH AMERICA* 
79 
pointmeiits and inconveniences. The trade winds SECOND 
prevail about thirty degrees on each side of the —- 
equator. This part of the ocean may be called the 
Elysian Fields of Neptune’s empire; and the torrid 
zone, notwithstanding Ovid’s remark, “ non est 
habitabilis aestu,” is rendered healthy and pleasant 
by these gently-blowing breezes. The ship glides 
smoothly on, and you soon find yourself within the 
northern tropic. When you are on it, Cancer is 
just over your head, and betwixt him and Capricorn 
is the high road of the zodiac, forty-seven degrees 
wide, famous for Phaeton’s misadventure. His 
father begged and entreated him not to take it into 
his head to drive parallel to the five zones, but to 
mind and keep on the turnpike which runs obliquely 
across the equator. “ There you will distinctly see,” 
said he, u the ruts of my chariot wheels, ‘ manifesta 
rotae vestigia cernes.’ ” “ But,” added he, u even 
suppose you keep on it, and avoid the by-roads, 
nevertheless, my dear boy, believe me, you will be 
most sadly put to your shifts; ‘ ardua prima via 
est,’ the first part of the road is confoundedly steep! 
( ultima via prona est,’ and after that, it is all down 
hill! Moreover, ‘ per insidias iter est, formasque 
ferarum,’ the road is full of nooses and bull-dogs, 
i Haemoniosque arcus,’ and spring guns, ‘ saevaque 
circuitu, curvantem brachia longo, Scorpio,’ and 
steel traps of uncommon size and shape.” These 
were nothing in the eyes of Phaeton; go he would, 
so off he set, full speed, four-in-hand. He had a 
tough drive of it; and after doing a prodigious deal 
