PAUL AND VIRGINIA. I55 



Whilft we fat by the fire, one of the planters told 

 us, that the preceding afternoon, he had feen a 

 veffel at fea, borne toward the ifland by the cur- 

 rents ; that the fhades of night had concealed her 

 from his view, and that two hours after fun-fet, he 

 had heard the firing of cannon, as a fignal calling 

 for affiftance, but that the fea ran fo high, no one 

 would fend out a boat to her relief: that foon after, 

 he could perceive their lanterns lighted up, and, 

 in that cafe, he was afraid, the veffel having come 

 fo near the fhore, might have paffed between the 

 main land and the little Ifle of Amber, miftaking 

 the latter for Mire-Point, near which, the veffels 

 arriving at Port-Louis are accuflomed to pafs ; 

 that if it were fo, which, however, he could not 

 abfolutely affirm, the vefîel mu ft be in the greateft 

 danger. Another planter then fpoke, and told us, 

 that he had feveral times pafîed through the chan- 

 nel which feparates the Ifle of Amber from the 

 coaft ; that he had founded it, and found that the 

 mooring and anchoring ground were excellent ; 

 and, that the veffel was as fafe there as in the moft 

 fecure harbour. *' I would riik my whole fortune 

 ** in her," added he, *' and could Heep as foundly 

 " as if I were on dry land." A third planter af- 

 ferted, that it was impoffiblc for a veffel of that 

 fize to enter the channel, as even boats could with 

 difficulty navigate it. He faid, that he had {een. 

 her anchor beyond the Ifle of Amber, fo that if 



the 



