C H A P IV.
From. Madera to St. Catherine'
I H A V E ajreaey mentioned, that on the 3d of November we
weighed-from Madera, after orders had been given to the
* Captains, to rendezvous at St. Jago, one o f the Cape de Verd
I (lands, in. cafe the fquadron wasfeparated. But the nex,t day,
wlieu we were got to tea,, the Commodore oonfidering that the
feafon was- far advanced, and that touching at St. Jaga would
treats a new delay, he, for this reafon, thought proper to. alter his
rendezvous, and to appoint the Ifiand o f St, Catherine's, on the
coaft o f Brazil.* to he the,£rft place, to which the (hips of the
fquadron were to repair, in cafe ofYeparation.
In our paflage to the Ifland of St. Catherine's, we found the direction
of the trade-winds to differ confiderably from what we had
reafon to expecft, both from the general hiftories given of thefe
winds, and the experience o f former navigators. For th'e learned
Dr. Halley, in his account o f the trade-winds, which take place in
the Ethkpic and Atlantic Ocean, tells us, that from the latitude o f
28° N , to the latitude of io °N, there is generally a frefh gale of
N. E. wind, which, towards the African fide, rarely comes to the
eaft ward o f E. N. E . or pafles to the northward of N. N . E ; but
on the American fide, the wind is fomewhat more eafterly, though
moft commonly, even there, it is a point or two to the northward
o f the Eaft: That from ia °N . to 40 N, the calms and tornadoes
take place; and from 40 N . to 30° S, the winds are generally and
perpetually between the South and the Eaft. This account we expected
to have verified by our own experience; but we found con-
tiderable variations from it, both in refpeCt to the fteadinefs of the-
winds, and the quarter from whence they blew. For though we
met with a N. E. wind about the latitude of 28° M yet from the
latitude o f 25° to the latitude of i.8° N, the wind was never once to
the
the northward of the Eaft ; but, on the contrary, almoft conftantly
to the fouthward of it. However, from thence to the latitude of
6°: 20' N, we had it ufually to the northward o f the Eaft, though
not entirely, it having for a fhort time changed to E. S. E. From
hence, to about 4°: 46' N, the weather was very unfettled; lomo-
times the wind was N. E, then changed to S. E ; and fometimes
we had a dead calm, attended with fmall rain and lightning. After
this, the wind continued almoft invariably between the S. and E,
to the latitude of 70: 30'S; and then again as invariably between
the N. and E, to the latitude of 15°: 3 0 'S ; then E. and S. E, to
2 ki: 27' S. But after this, even to the latitude of 27": 44' S, the
wind was never once between the S. and the E, though we had it
at all times in all the other quarters o f the compafs. But this laft
circumftance may be in fome meafure accounted for, from our
approach to the main continent of the Brazils. I mention not
thefe particulars with a view of cavilling at the received accounts
of thefe trade-winds, which, I doubt not, are in general fuffi-
ciently accurate ; but I thought it a matter worthy of public notice,
that fuch deviations from the eftablilhed rules do fometimes
take place. Befrdes, this obfervation may not only be offervice to
Navigators, by putting them on their guard againft thefe hitherto
unexpected irregularities, but is a circumftance neceffary to be attended
to, in the folution of that great queftion about the caufes
of trade-winds and monfoons; a queftion, which, in my opinion,
has not been hitherto difeufled with that clearnefs and accuracy,
which its importance (whether it be confidercd as a naval or phi-
lofbphical inquiry) feems to demand.
On the r 6th of November, one of our Viaualers made a frgnal
to fpeak with the Commodore, and we fhortened fail for her to
tome up with us.: The Mafter came on board, and acquainted Mr.
Anfon, that he had complied with the terms of his charter-party,
and defired to be unloaded and difmilfed. Mr. Anfrn, on confult-
ing the Captains of the fquadron, found all the fhips had ftill fuch
quantities of psovifion between their decks, and were withal fo
? F 2 deep,