Ch. i. south AMERICA. 30s 



adding) that it was the more advifeablc to embrace 

 this opportunity, advice having been received from 

 Europe, three or four days before their departure 

 from Conception, that France and England were at 

 war. But the captains from felfifh motives rejcifted 

 this falutary propofal, though at the fame time they 

 muft be fenfible that the want of water and provi- 

 fions, together with the bad condition of our fri- 

 gate, would unavoidably oblige them to put into 

 fome harbour. And this, in oppofuion to the wor- 

 thy merchant's advice, they determined üiould be 

 the defart iQand of Fernando de Norona ; for though 

 the Portuguefe of Brafil had lome time fmce fenc 

 a Colony thither, it was abandoned on account of 

 its fterility. The French India Company alfo had 

 for fome time a fettlement there, but were obliged, 

 on the fame account, to leave it ; and during the 

 time of that fettlement, the captain of the marquis 

 d'Antin had been there, and thence knew that it 

 abounded with water and wood, the two articles 

 moftly wanted. Don Pedro Arriago adhered to his 

 firft propofal, and it had doubdefs been complied with 

 by the two frigates freighted by him, had not the mar- 

 quis d'Antin been in company, the captain of which 

 made ufe of fuch plaufible reafons in fupport of his 

 opinion, that it prevailed, and we accordingly fteercd 

 for the harbour of Fernando de Norona. 



From the coth to the iSzh of April, we had 

 calms and fqualls, and from thence to the 8th of 

 May, when we found ourfelves in the latitude of 

 16 deg. 58 min. we had little wind, and variable 

 between the N. and E. but moftly at N. E. nearly. 

 On the 8th the wind began to frefhen, and though for 

 feveral days it was at E. and E. N. E. we had it ge- 

 nerally at E. S. E. till our arrival at Fernando de No- 

 rona. Our courfe from the 20th of April, was as the 

 winds would permit, fometimes N. N. W. N. W. one 

 quarter northerly, and W. N. W. but from the 7th of 



Vol. il, X May, 



