258 TRAVELS IN THE CONFEDERATION 



that we could make sail on our right course 6-8 knots 

 (or as many miles) in the hour. 



Sunday, the 4th of April, in the morning at 10 

 o'clock, there could be discovered from the mast the 

 north-eastern end of the island of Abaco; in the after- 

 noon we drew nearer the island, sailing at some dis- 

 tance from it south-east. Our skipper spent almost 

 the whole afternoon at the mast-head, so as to deter- 

 mine the safest course. For in nearing the Bahama 

 islands, new dangers are met, numerous shallows and 

 sharp rocks surrounding them. It is then well to 

 make the voyage with a Providence captain, thoroughly 

 familiar with the region. Towards evening we were 

 still rounding the eastern point of Abaco, and lay-to 

 under the fore-sail. The wind still kept in the north- 

 west, but the next morning we found to our astonish- 

 ment that our little vessel had got far off from its 

 position of the day before, and almost against the wind 

 had been driven around the eastern point again. The 

 cause of this was one of those currents setting north- 

 west, which as I have mentioned are here and there 

 to be traced^ among the West Indian islands, but sub- 

 ject to many changes. When the waters of the Mex- 

 ican Gulf, besides their usual augmentation due to the 

 winds, are still further swelled by the streams risen 

 from the rains, and the surplus cannot be carried off 

 through the Gulf Stream, it happens then especially 

 that these currents among the islands (and particularly 

 the Bahamas) are observable more than common. 



It was long before we could get a second time 

 around the point ; the wind was blowing straight 

 towards it, and we had to work hard to come about. 

 A line of rock off Abaco runs straight with the length 



