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if) the Sir ait of Magellan. .9 ing and tlie true situation of that coast. He had ascertained his place by the chart of M. Beilin, the correctness of which, on that coast, we had reason to testify. On the other hand, ships returning to Europe, which pass always to the westward of that meridian, find the errors in their accounts to be constantly to the westward of the truth. Some instances might also be mentioned of vessels which found little or no errors in their reckonings which could be attributed to the setting of the waters, because they had passed at or near the meridian of Tenerift'e. The breezes continued from the eastward until we had reached south latitude 18°, when we experienced their usual change, viz. that as we advanced in south latitude, they veer ed round more and more to E. and NE. which enabled us with out any difficulty to pass Cape St. Augustine; and to cross without apprehension the parallel of the Abrojos, notwithstand ing that the currents had set considerably to the westward, as we could easily perceive by our observations for ascertaining the longitude. In south latitude 22° 45', these winds failed us; and, which is worthy of notice, at the same time also ceased the setting of the currents towards the W. For two days we had winds from S. and SW., but they afterwards returned to the NE. On the 21st November fell in with the ship Los Placeres, be longing to the new Company of the Philippine Islands, which sent her boat on-board of us as soon as we were within her reach. She had sailed from Cadiz on the 1st October for Lima, and had crossed the Equinoctial two days later, and two or three degrees more to the eastward, than we had done. Her reckon ing, corrected for currents to the W., agreed with our account deduced from our observations of lunar distances by the time pieces. We steered a little more easterly than she did; and, from our superiority in sailing, next day lost sight of her. . In south latitude 3 i° 45' the wind began to veer round by the N. and W. to the SW. quarter. Experience has shown, that, in these latitudes, and in the neighbourhood of the coast of Brasil, when the wind has been at NE. and draws round by the N. to the W,, it never fails to arrive at the SW., from which point it blows with the greatest violence. These last winds are commonly called Pamperos, as proceeding from, or over, the immense plains or Pampas, adjacent to the River de la Plata in South America. From latitude 13° 5' to latitude 41°, the longitude indicated by the time-pieces was constantly 2° or 2i° to the W. of that drawn from our reckoning; but after that parallel (41°,) in jvhiph the winds began to blow from theNW. and SW. quai> Voyages and Travels, No. 5, Vol.ll. c