approached the Equator, it gradually blew steadily from the S.E.
On 23rd June the Equator was reached and crossed for the sixth and last time in 26° 13′ W. In 25 days the frigate had run in a direct line 3800 nautical miles, or an average of 6 1⁄3 knots an hour.
The very strongly-marked westerly current which prevails near the Equator materially lengthened the voyage, its strength in 2° 39′ N. and 26° 14′ W. being such that while the ship made 213 knots in the 24 hours upon her direct course, she was carried within the same period no fewer than 65 miles in a direction of W. by N.
The S.E. trade remained as such as far as 4° 36′ N., 25° 38′ W., when fresh N.E. breezes were encountered, and stayed by the ship till she reached 9° 54′ N. by 29° 42′ W. She now had to make her way slowly forward through a belt of calms, rain-squalls, and occasional puffs of wind from W. and S.W., till, at length, on 2nd July, the wind came on to blow from N.N.E., in 11° 47′ N., by 29° 29′ W.
The French corvette Eurydice, which had laid her course for St. Helena, had on that account kept more to the eastward, and had crossed the line in about 22° W., and had in consequence lost so much more way than the Novara that she took three days longer than our frigate to get from St. Helena to lat. 20° N., to which this other circumstance contributed, that the N.E. trade does not blow so strongly or so
steadily in the vicinity of the Cape de Verd Islands as a little further out.
On 7th July, in 22° 58′ N., 36° 51′ W., the Novara reached the well-known Mar de Sargasso, a portion of the Atlantic Ocean, in which the current, setting from the coast of Africa, encounters a branch of the great gulf stream, and forms a basin of still water, in which is collected an immense mass of seaweed (sargassum bacciferum, etc.) which is propelled slowly forward in long ranks by the action of the wind.
The 9th July was a day of mourning on board. One of the sailors, who for a year past had been ailing and almost constantly in sick bay, died, and was committed to the deep, the last victim during the voyage.
Next day, in 37° 37′ N., 39° 1′ W., the N.E. trade began to draw to the eastward, and gradually became more favourable, but at the same time lost in strength, till on the 14th it failed entirely.
Several ships now hove in sight, and as one of these by her course must obviously approach the frigate pretty close, it seemed a good opportunity to get news from Europe, which the voyagers had for 54 days been speculating upon with anxious hearts. Accordingly a boat was lowered from the frigate and sent to board the merchantman, which proved to be the brig Hero, Captain Williams. He had left Barcelona 50 days before, and was bound for New York. The captain accordingly was not in a position to satisfy the very natural curiosity of those on board the Novara as to the