New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1849-02-27
LIeut. uaury's Wind and Current Charts.
REPoRr-OF rHF COMMITTEE OF CossERcE n TAB
EOUss 90 REPRESENTATIVES,. FRA>s>tsD 81 NM


The Committee OF Commerce. 70 whom were
referred the memorials Of the merchants and snip
masters Of New York and Boston, and Of the Cham
Der OF Commerce Of New-N0rk. asking Congress
TO direct the Secretary OF the Navy to employ one
or more OF the small national vessels in testing the
ocean tracks recommended By Lieai. NJ {. Mau
~, Superintendent % The United States Observa
tory al Washington, IS laid down In ths, gentle.
mans Wind and Current Charts report
Ths, they hsve given the subject tbs, consideration
which It's importance demands and here present the
suit Of their Investigations
Lieut. Msury has undertaken % collect from the log.
books OF both public and private ships the results Of
the experience OF their ohcers with regard 10 winds
currents sc in all parts Of the and IL emosdy
these results in set Of charts. called Maury's Wind
and Current Charts N such manner 10 give 10
cry navigator the benefits OF the experience Of all
whose records ara thus combined snd colsted
For ihis purpose the track Of esch vessel 10 define
sed on the chart 10 coors according 10 the seasons Of
the year and In characters according 20 the months
The winds daily experienced by the vessel making the
track laid down that track In symbols % rzeni
ousy conrved ihs, the stor without any written
description st not only the direction Of those
winds In the different months OF the year but perceves
AZ their precise character. They seen 10 be
fresh or light moderate or strong gaes or squalls.
In like he Il epprsed Of the set and velocity
Of the ses currents the variation OF the compass Oh
served the temperature OF the water. and such other
facts may have been noted all tending to more
general AMI correct knowledge Of wind aud weather.
and thus furnishing new helps toward making ocean
navigation more safe, speedy ana sure.
With this ch m before bia ths svigstor may form
accurate estimate Of the prevailing winds and cur
rents In any part of the of the yesr
He has the experience Of thousands who have gone be
fore him. 10 widen his knowledge and iumine his path
way over the rsckless waters tie may here see how
20 svod adverse winds and currents and how TO steer
order to be likely 10 secure the aid OF those the most
favorable.
The navigator who has crossed the Atlantic many
times In any given direction. 10 considered much more
likely 70 make short passages than he WHO crossest tor
the rrst time. His experience In regard To wind,
weather and currents Justly presumed - give him
great advantage But these charts open 10 every man
sources Of information which n properly used tend 20
destroy this superiority. The who will siieutivey
study them cannot fail TO lind himself in possession OF
stock Of nautical information much larger than the long
est personal experience give 90 any who relies
that experience alone. Il will be the most ind1stri
GUS snd inte gent student of the facts here
presented and not the solely OF the greatest ex
peris who will navigate his ship with the most skill
and with the surest prospect Of prompt and successful
passages
has been Induced TO recommend more Norherly route
than the usually taken By vessels In the European
trade This recommendation 10 made not only ON the
principles Of great circle sailing, as being nearer, out
also on account OF the winds which are Ia that region
believed 70 De- more favorable. The log book Of Cap,
Mumiord of the ship Wisconsin. lately arrived at New
hbitsd to your Committee. The Wisconsin had Lieut.
Mauiys charts on board and kept well 10 the North ~
recommended by him. She arrived At her port OF
destination twelve days before two other ships which
sailed in company, but which went farther to the South
II Is not claimed that ssch difference will invariably
In the length of passage by the two routes but
the result record Is nevertheless full of significance
and indicates the grea, importance and value to he at
tached 10 the subject under consideration II the voy
age across the Atlantic be- shortened but day or
two. Commerce will still reap important benefits
But results Tar important than these have al
ready arisen from examinations made at the National
Observatory
Aier carefully comparing the log books OF many
thousand vessels sailing between the United states sn
Brazil Chins the Indies the Cape Of Good Hope and
Cape Horn the author of these charts has been led 10
the important discovery that the circultous course usu
ely taken 10 these places may be avoided II may here
be remarked that the usual route Of vessels bound from
our Atlantic the parts OF the world we have
named IL nearly the same until they reach the equsor
Bot these charts indicate entirely route thither
The usual course of vessels bound 10 Rio Jsneiro
the Cape of Good Hope 4, across the Atlantic Oces,
he shores OF Africa, thence Ia tne coast ot Brazil
aud II bound 70 the Cape third tune the ocean
This zgzag has been hitherto pursued, In th'
belief that In following It better winds have been fount
than II any other had been taken The facts deriNe'
from the log books and records OF thousand ship
show this belief 10 be unfOunded.
Il has been SIDE 10 appear 10 the satisfaction OF your
! Committee that mOnsoons or trade winds, prevail In
that part OF the Atlantic, through which part OF the
old routs 70 the equator lies where such winds have
been thought 10 exist From June 10 November incin
sive these winds prevail from the southwark and west
ward And they exactly In that part OF the ocean
where, strange though IL may appear, vessels ever
since the days Of Cook and Cavendsh have been In the
hsbi IF going with the expectation Of nndng who's
favorable for course the sOuthw ard and westward
I'm consequence OF results Ike these, Lieut. Maury
was led q examine the materials bis own industry nae
| accumulated Ia order 20 dad better route Accord
ngy one was discovered and aonouuced' which, oe.n
being several hundred miles lies also through
re ion Of more favorable winds lnsomuch thar the
average passage OF = number of vessels which have
tried this route during hs last year 10 ten days or
about i've per cent less than the average ~ The
usual course 10 the equator In tbs opinion OF your
Committee legitimate or useful service cannot
/ be- found for ANAL vesses Oi the osvy, than 20
place them under ,he Instructions Of the Hydrosapbi
cal Bureau with the view OF testing the relative stysn
ages Of these two routs IL IL presumed II two ve-
sells Of equal speed vere dispatched from The same
port with Instructions 10 sail Al the same time one by
the old and the other by the new track and 10 make .
few trips 20 Bio Janero and back tbs result could
not fail to be Of essential value II would DO no slight
advantage to bring the ports which lie beyond the equa
| tor ten days nearer to our own doors
4 skill farther examination Of the materials at his
command has led Lieut. Maury to other promising re-
suits By projecting the " large numbers Of
vessels engaged Ia the trade OF the Calf Of Mexico and
noting the currents toey have met with, IL has been
made 10 appear than probable that current has
heen discovered which ~ found 10 exist, will shor.n
the usual sailing distance from Havana 10 New Orleans
and 70 other ports In the states bordering the Gull
/ nearly one miro by the route psfsueos
ses have % opposing current running a.
tbs OF sixty miles per day II 10 believed that
by following along the Cuba shore vessels bound h.
New Orleans will md current la their favor Of equal
/ velocity
To examine into this current b. rscertsn its rate add
tx ts limits on the chart would neither delay the pub
lie cruisers 10 the Gulf Interfere with their othe'
duties To direct them 10 examine into such subject
would, 10 the opinion OF your Committee, be only fe'
curing appropriate service for vessels maintained fof
the defence and for the protection and safety
| Of commerce.
10 an undertaking % and original a. this man J
be brought out or significantly pointed at Charts would
be greatly improved doubts removed AZ 70 the exltt
eace OF dangers and distractions 10 navigation. The
position Of shoals gsDectet would be shsr estsb
shed or the belief In their existence shown ~ be with
out foundation others now perhaps altogether M
known would be brought 10 HIGHT under the proposed
/ ezaminarOn-an examination which the hurried mer
/ chairman, who counts time money, cannot be g.
pectsd % make. Nor would the researches end here
They have for their object the systemstkios on the
charts Tor The Of the mariner the currents Of tn
ocean a. well the winds Of heaven, and the collect
ng from Nature and the grouping together Of al tnoe
facts which tend % facilitate the great business OF ns'
cation 10 this respect much has slready been seeoo
pshed and IL ID reasonable toexpect that m1cn mofe
xiIi be- inssmuch the work 10 yet in It's infsney
fe1tes Msgry states that the materias collected
and now on file al the Observatory have led hin TO OK
peet another discovery OF great Importance 10 com
merca By closely examining the ooservsiions be has