Maine and the Orient: Routes to the Orient

Vessels traveled from the United States to the Far East via one of two basic routes.  The first led around Cape Horn at the southern tip of South America, then across the Pacific, possibly stopping in California or Hawaii. It was difficult, with weeks often needed to round Cape Horn against the prevailing winds, the roaring forties. The second route was easier, eastward across the Atlantic to the Cape Verde Islands, around the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa, through the Indian Ocean, to Java Head and the Sunda Straits, past the Portuguese port of Macao, and on to a Chinese port or other destination. This route allowed vessels to run downwind with the roaring forties, strong winds in those latitudes that propelled the ship eastward.

Indian Ocean Passages

Routes to China during SW Monsoons

Along the way to the Far East, ships could stop in the Pacific Northwest for furs; Mauritius, Bombay, and Calcutta for cotton; Sumatra for pepper, Batavia for sugar and coffee; and various European ports.