The _Fiery Cross_ found a light northeast breeze outside, and passed through the Formosa Channel with royal studdingsails set, followed by the other four ships. They all carried this breeze for four hundred miles, when the _Fiery Cross_ drifted into a calm which let the other ships run up, but she was the first to get the southwest monsoon, and soon drew away again. On June 8th the _Fiery Cross_ and _Ariel_ met on opposite tacks, both ships having a strong southwest breeze, and the _Fiery Cross_ passed three miles to windward. She kept her lead through the Straits of Sunda, passing Anjer Point at noon on June 19th, and was followed by the _Ariel_ on the morning of June 20th and the _Taeping_ during that afternoon; the _Serica_ passed Anjer Point on the 22d and the _Taitsing_ on the 25th. From Anjer Point to the meridian of Mauritius they all carried fresh trade winds, and it was on this stretch across the Indian Ocean that each ship made her best twenty-four hours’ run--the _Ariel_, 317; _Taeping_, 319; _Serica_, 291; _Fiery Cross_, 328; and _Taitsing_, 318 miles. The _Fiery Cross_ rounded the Cape of Good Hope on July 14th, 46 days from Foo-chow, followed by the _Ariel_ also 46 days; _Taeping_, 47 days; _Serica_, 50 days, and _Taitsing_, 54 days. The _Fiery Cross_ was on the equator, August 3d, 20 days from the Cape of Good Hope, with the _Ariel_ still only one day astern, while the _Taeping_ and _Taitsing_ had each gained 1 and the _Serica_ 2 days on this stretch. On August 9th, in latitude 12° 29′ N., the _Fiery Cross_ and _Taeping_ exchanged signals, and they continued in company, with calms and variable winds until the 17th, when the _Taeping_ picked up a breeze which carried her out of sight while the _Fiery Cross_ lay becalmed for another twenty-four hours. Meanwhile, the _Ariel_, which was about thirty miles further to the westward, found better winds and now led the fleet, while the _Taitsing_ brought up a good breeze and passed the _Taeping_, _Serica_, and _Fiery Cross_ and was closing on the _Ariel_. At the Azores the _Ariel_ still held the lead, though closely followed by the _Taitsing_, _Fiery Cross_, _Serica_, and _Taeping_ in the order named. From the Azores to the entrance of the English Channel, the _Taeping_ and _Serica_ passed the _Taitsing_ and _Fiery Cross_ and closed on the _Ariel_, the _Taeping_ leading the _Serica_ by about six hours.