The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1854-04-12
CARE or Coon lIopy,
yan,,aru = IEc 4

January D, 1854.
n.aR sit encl &c you copy OF the ab-
s,Fact log have kept since leaving Liverpool.
II may be interesting from, The fact thai an
American steamship has made q direct RIM ,o
The Cape of Good Hope in twenty-six and a
halt days, The quickest run ever yet made bv
seven or eight days, and contrary TO the opin-
ION OF many persons v ho imagined that il could
not be done by steam alone. 1 send YOU little
sketch of our course, which will show YOU at a
| glance the route took. In studying your wind
and current charts, found there was a region
hy crossing in 3 deg. or deg. west Longitude.
where would hnd steady 8. W. winds, and
another IN east Longitude where | would find
Gains. also surn,ised thar, by running the
African cnast along, without deyiatjuo ion
'nuch from my direct courseo l would find an
euoy current setting to the southeast. II turned
out as anticipated, and proved TO INV entire
sa'is action that this was the true route for n
paddle wheel steamer, either from Epr,and or
lhe United States. A fast steamer can make
me run in % days from England, and SO from
'ne onitea States; and il a coal depot could be
Tue distance from ENGLAND would be shortened
3oo miles. am told that Goree is a rapi al
haroor, and as ourdnteress in the East are null
upiying daily, and at times it becomes imoor
taht 10 get steamship out there with despatch
the matter is worth looking into.
The English steamers have so far. in their
numerous voyages with one exception) 10 the
cape ot Good Hope, met with very great i'll
'ack. because they kept Too far from the African
coast fght IN the strength of the trade wind.
WIN stfopg current against them, and they
have either had to put in somewhere short Of
c"ai, or else work their way across the s E.
Faoes np'il they fell in with winds to help them
10 the Cape IN all Of WHICH cases tbey made
very long passages, seldom being udner 45
days. ana sometimes as long "a 55 All the
s'de wheei steamers that have gone out have
made TIE passage partly under sail; whereas.
by taklns the IN shore track, they would have
maze u In nan the time with steam alone |
am pleased that we have solved the difficnltv
aid am indebted entirely for nv success TO ,bn
hints took from your wind and current chart
u IS as useful for steamers as it is for sailing ves
seis nave been most agreeaby surprised in
not nnoing strong currents against me indeed.
since . crossing the lipe, the current has been
ittie or nothing, and mostly with US l2 or ID
mics gay. There may be such a thing as
nor'herly sci OF current, but so far | have not
met It, although, since leaving the latitude Of
"a deg. south | have had fresh g. E trsde-
winds.
recommend this route to our steamers of.
war They ought to be able 10 carry 80 davs.
COAL which would allow them to push through
II they cannot carry that amount, they are unfit
FOR war purposes.
II left England with heavy freight on board.
and twenty days coal, (not SO much a | actu-
ally required i consequently, | was obliged TO
De prudent shut off four of my furnaces,
using only two thirds o. my steam, and limited
,ne engine to thirty five tons day, and the
latter part of the voyage to much less. This ia
small amour. of coal for shin of 3 (1lD tons
but, when not troubled with currents, we man
aged to get through $50 miles day, and aver.
aged, duriGg the voyage, PA. If | had marked
ou' the weather for a steamer with the excep-
,or "t Big days hard steaming against the ,rades)
could not have had il more to my mind. and /
Imagine it will be iound the same nearly through
cut the year
flnd little or no information to be depended
on relating TO the currents on the African coast.
"aVe Kept faithful account Of them since
leaving the Cape de Verde islands, and you NAV
find them worth recording; they are marked IN
the abstract wherever they occurred. You will
see py my track that make curve into the
coast. This did 10 get the in.shore current.
as round The current against me, or rather TO
the westward, IN longitude deg. west When
got IN deg. east, l was out Of it's influence,
aid soon fell in with southerly set.
send you in the abstract log the register of
our hydrometcr, with the destiny ofwaer taken
every day. II has been sept by DR.. Raymond.
great pleasure in such matters, and who will
keep you supplied with such information hen
opportunities occur.
IN conclusion, | wopld recommend for al!
steamers coming this route, to take at Cape de
Verde, or Goree, all The coal they can possibly
stow below aud on deck, to allow for pushing
through some very strong S L, winds Hey will
encounter after leaving I'd deg south Also 10
send down all yards and masts after crossing
far kpa a.
catch the 5. w. winds, which up TO "a deg.
sometimes blow after sunset also, to keep the
$ Up trimmed by the stern for the heavy h, ad-
seas; aud depend upon it, you will hear of SONS
very quick passages to the Cape.
l remain yours, truly,
DAVID D. PORTER.
Lieutenant M. F. MAuRY,
Superintendent of the Observatory,