computed within an hour, for it has been computed within an hour's sail—six miles (§ 623).
625. How passages have been shortened.—By the knowledge thus elaborated from old and new log-books and placed before the nautical world, the average passage from Europe or the United States to all ports in the southern hemisphere has been shortened ten days, and to California a month and a half.[1] Between England and her golden colony in the South Seas the time required for the round voyage has been lessened fifty days or more, and from Europe to India and China the outward passage has been reduced ten days. Such are some of the achievements that commend this beautiful system of research to the utilitarian spirit of the age.
626. Fast sailing.—The route that affords the bravest winds, the fairest sweep, and the fastest running for ships, is the route to and from Australia. But the route which most tries a ship's prowess is the outward-bound voyage to California. The voyage to Australia and back carries the clipper ship along a route which for more than 300° of longitude runs with the "brave west winds" of the southern hemisphere. With these winds alone, and with the bounding seas which follow them, the modern clipper, without auxiliary power, has accomplished a greater distance in a day than any sea steamer has ever been known to reach. Running before these fine winds and heaving seas those ships have performed their voyages of circumnavigation in 60 days.
627. The longest voyage.—The sea voyage to California, Columbia, and Oregon is the longest voyage in the world—longest both as to time and distance. Before these researches were extended
- ↑ "During the last year [1859] the 8th edition of Maury's Sailing Directions, in two quarto volumes, has been published at the Observatory in Washington. It affords abundant evidence of the activity, to which allusion has already been made, in this field of research, and with regard to which all geographers feel the most lively interest.
>"Official tables have been received from San Francisco, showing the vessels that have arrived at that port during the year, with the length of passage. Of those arriving direct viâ Cape Horn, 124 were from the Atlantic ports of the United States, and 34 from Europe. Of these 124, 70 are known to have had the Wind and Current Charts on board; their average passage was 135 days, which is 11 days less than the average of those from the United States, and 24 days less than the average of those from Europe without the Charts. When these researches commenced, the general average was 180 days from the United States, and 183 from Europe to California."—Journal American Geographical Society.
