General Examination of the Pacific OceanE. & G.W. Blunt, 1861 - 212 pages |
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Common terms and phrases
anchor anchorage April archipelago Australia barometer Bass's Strait belt Callao Cape Corrientes Cape Horn Captain Channel chart coast of America coast of Australia course cross dangerous direction distance doubling Cape Horn east coast eastward Endeavor Strait entrance Equator equatorial current fathoms hemisphere Humboldt Current hurricanes Hydrographic inner route Isles Japan Current Krusenstern Ladrone Islands latitude March meridian monsoon month navigation north equatorial current north latitude north winds northeast trade-winds northern northward northwest observations October outer route Pacific Ocean parallel pass passage Pitt Passage Pollard Channel Port Jackson prevailing winds Raine Island rocks S. E. trade winds S. W. monsoon sailing season September ship shore southeast southern southward southwest squalls steer tack temperature Tessan Torres Strait track trade winds Valparaiso Van Diemen's Land variable winds varying velocity vessel voyage weather west coast west longitude west winds westerly westward winds blow winds prevail zone
Popular passages
Page 93 - Kuro-Siwo is felt on the coasts of Oregon and California, but in a less degree, perhaps, than that of the Gulf Stream on the coasts of Europe, owing to the greater width of the Pacific Ocean over the Atlantic. Still, the winters are so mild in Puget's Sound, in latitude 48° north, that snow rarely falls there, and the inhabitants are never enabled to fill their...
Page 39 - N., the wind is mostly from south to west all the year round ; the exceptions are few, and generally occur in the fine season. Both in beating up this coast to the southward, and in running down it, the former in the months of May and June, the latter in those of October, November, and January, we had the wind from SSE to W. (by the south,) with a constant current to the north-eastward, the only difference being that the winds were lighter, and the weather finer in May and June as we got to the southward...
Page 45 - ... which, during more than half the year, render the navigation from San Diego northward most unpleasant. In making the land, the only way to deal with them, is to feel your way into the coast with the lead during the daytime, as it frequently happens that a thick fog prevails at sea, while, at the same time, within a mile or two of the land, a beautiful clear bright sky, and open horizon are to be found : if disappointed in this, you have but to wear, haul off again, and heave to till the desired...
Page 45 - NW, when the clouds clear off and fine weather again succeeds. Off Conception Point gales and strong breezes are so frequent as to obtain for it the appellation of the Cape Horn of California. They are mostly from North to West, and frequently blow with great force, especially in the winter, when they sometimes last for three days together, without a cloud to be seen, till they begin to moderate. But here one of the most remarkable features of this coast first shows itself, viz., the frequent and...
Page 91 - Yedo, where its maximum velocity, as shown by our observations, is 80 miles per day. , Its average strength from the south end of Formosa to the Straits of Sangar is found to be from 35 to 40 miles per twenty-four hours at all seasons that we traversed it. Near its origin the Kuro-Siwo, like the Gulf Stream, is contracted, and is usually confined between Formosa and the Majico-Sima Islands, with a width of 100 miles. But to the northward of this group it rapidly expands on its southern limit, and...
Page 40 - ... very fresh, though the weather was often unsettled and heavy rains frequent. The prevailing wind was from south-west, but north-westerly winds were not uncommon. CHIRAMBIRA POINT TO THE GULF OF SAN MIGUEL. — When past Chirambira Point (the northern horn of Choco Bay) we had the wind more from the northward, and in the latter end of March had to beat up to Panama Bay against north-westerly and north-easterly breezes, blowing a fresh breeze at times, especially as we approached the bay. In surveying...
Page 120 - BRANCA, (32 miles,) a detached rock, twenty-four feet in height above the level of the sea, situated nearly in the centre of the Eastern entrance of the Strait of Malacca, which has been the leading mark for vessels entering or leaving the strait for ages past. The main channel, which lies immediately to the north of the rock, is four miles wide in the narrowest part. A Lighthouse of dressed granite, seventy-five feet in height, has recently been erected on the summit of the rock, which is probably...
Page 44 - Cape St. Lucas to San Diego, or from 23° to 32° N., the general direction of the wind is from west to north, but during the winter months, or from November to April, this coast is subject to violent gales from the SE, which, as most of the bays and anchorages are open towards that quarter, are much dreaded. This is especially the case along the northern portion of this division, as towards Cape San Lucas they are less frequent; however, they always give ample warning of their approach. The only...
Page 92 - ... to prove conclusively the predominant direction of this cold current through the Straits of Sangar, particularly as the tide ebbs and flows through them with great rapidity. Yet, from what we have, I am inclined to believe that it is a current from the Arctic ocean running counter to the Kuro-Siwo, and which passes to the westward through the Straits of Sangar, down through the Japan Sea, between Corea and the Japanese Islands, and feeds the hyperborean current on the east coast of China, which...
Page 77 - ... In October, 1835, being off the Asia Islands, and wishing to make a passage to the eastward, winds light and variable and current running strongly to the westward, against which we could make no progress, stood to the northward, and on the 19th of October were in lat. 2° 6