Page:Physical Geography of the Sea and its Meteorology.djvu/362

336 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. 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