Narrative of the surveying voyages of his majesty's ships Adventure and Beagle (vol.1): between the years 1826 and 1836 : describing their examination of the southern shores of South America, and the Beagles's circumnavigation of the globe

CHAPTER XXIV. A FEW NAUTICAL KEMAfiKS UPON THE PASSAGE ROUND CAPE HORN ; AND UPON THAT THROUGH THE STRAIT OF MAGAL- HAENS, OR MAGELLAN. Ships bound from the Atlantic to any of the ports in the Pacific, will find it advantageous to keep Avithin one hundred miles of the coast of Eastern Patagonia, as well to avoid the heavy sea that is raised by the westerly gales, which prevail to the eastward, and increase in strength according to the distance from the land, as to profit by the variableness of the wind when it is in the western board. Near the coast, from April to September, when the sun has north declination, the winds prevail more from the W.N.W. to N.N.W. than from any other quarter. Easterly gales are of very rare occurrence, but even when they do blow, the direction being obliquely upon the coast, I do not consider it at all hazardous to keep the land on board. In the opposite season, when the sun has south declination, the winds will incline from the southward of west, and frequently blow hard ; but, as the coast is a weather shore, the sea goes down immediately after the gale. In this season, although the winds are generally against a ship*'s making quick progress, yet as they seldom remain fixed in one point, and frequently shift backward and forward six or eight points in as many hours, advantage may be taken of the change so as to keep close in with the coast. Havins once made the land, which should be done to the southward of Cape Blanco, it will be beneficial to keep it topping on the horizon, until the entrance of the Strait of Magalhaens be passed. With respect to this part of the voyage, whether to pass through Strait Le Maire or round Staten Island, much difference of opinion exists. Prudence, I think, suggests the