Manilla to
Penang, 600
leagues.
Penang to Bengal,
400 leagues.
Calcutta to
Madras, 300
leagnes.
10.
From Manilla to Prince of Wales's Island.
21st February to 8th March, 1817 ■ ■ 15 days.
In the north-east monsoon this is somewhat under the
average passage.
11.
From Prince of Wales’s Island to Saugor Roads, Bengal.
13th March to the 27th March, 1817 • 14 days.
The average a t this season is twenty-one days, consequently
this passage is very good. At this season of the
year the north-east monsoon has entirely ceased in the
centre of the Bay of Bengal; so that a ship which steers
well out between the Nicobars and Andamans need not
apprehend northerly winds; whereas in the north-eastern
parts of the bay, the monsoon still blows faintly, with long
intervals of calm. A merchant brig, reputed a good sailer,
left Prince of Wales’s Island 6 days before us, and followed
the inner route, while we went outside, and arrived 10 days
before her at Calcutta.
12.
Sand Heads off Calcutta to Madras, against the southwest
monsoon.
From 19th April to the-7th May, 1817 .. --18I days.
Three weeks is said to be a good passage. We beat
down as far as the latitude 11° north, and longitude .87° east,
before we hauled across. We had fine weather all the way,
1 3 .
From Madras to the Mauritius.
1s t June to the 1 s t July, 1 8 1 7 • • 30 days. 1140
We were driven by the south-west monsoon as far as
longitude 92° east, before crossing the equator; here we had
a constant high swell. We were much baffled, and did
not get the steady south-east trade till m 7° south, and
longitude 88° east. The average passage is between five
and six weeks at this season of the year.
14.
From Mauritius to making the land of Africa, about rouKUng«*
Algoa Bay. , J lea^
8th July to the 22d July, 1817 • • 14 ^
Thence to rounding the Cape on the 30th July 8
Mauritius till round the Cape, 3 weeks 1 day, or 22 days.
The average from the Mauritius to rounding the .Cape,
is twenty-eight days; on this o c c a s i o n we k ep t close inshore
: we had n o current, and though in the depth of winter,
the weather was invariably fine, and the water smooth.
At .night a breeze generally blew off shore. There was a
heavy dew every night.