A special note concerning the currents of the sea betweene the Cape of Buena Esperança and the coast of Brasilia, giuen by a French Pilot to Sir Iohn Yorke knight, before Sebastian Cabote; which Pilot had frequented the coasts of Brasilia eighteene voyages.
Memorandum, that from Cabo de buena Esperança vnto Brasilia the Sunne hath the like dominion ouer the tides there, as the Moone hath ouer our tides here.
And that whensoeuer the Sunne is in any of these signes he gouerneth the tides as followeth.[32]
The Sunne being in {Taurus, Gemini, Cancer} the tide hath his course Northwest.
The Sunne being in {Leo, Virgo, Libra} no current.
The Sunne being in {Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorne} the tide hath his course Southeast.
The Sunne being in {Aquarius, Pisces, Aries} no current.
[32] It may be as well to point out that the truth as to the currents of the South Atlantic is as follows:—
From the Cape of Good Hope the current flows North along the West Coast of Africa till it reaches a point somewhat North of the Congo, when it turns to the West. North of Ascension it divides. One portion, the South Equatorial Current, flows North West into the Gulf of Mexico, while the other subdivides, and whilst part flows South West down the coast of South America, the remainder returns by the South of Tristan d'Acunha to the Cape of Good Hope.
A ruttier or course to be kept for him that will sayle from Cabo Verde to the coast of Brasil, and all along the coast of Brasil vnto the riuer of Plate: and namely first from Cabo Verde to Fernambuck.
The ship that goeth from Cabo Verde to Brasil, must goe