What Barry said.

Sailing ships could only make limited progress to windward (no nearer than about five points (56 degrees) or so) and what with leeway would make scarcely any ground upwind, especially in heavy weather. So rounding the Horn E to W was a bit of a feat unless you were lucky and found a lull or even (rare) an easterly. There are even cases, I believe, of masters who'd tried it, been beaten back and went the other way round to get to the Pacific.

We tend to forget in these days of high-aspect rigs and high pointing angles (as close as 30 degrees) the sailing to windward is hard work!

Steve