Cii.III. SOUTH AMERICA. 319 



Anoericii, than to want but one of being to windward 

 cf it; for to gain only this one leagurf, the (hip miift 

 go a great way back to the foiithward, before ihe will 

 be able to get round ti)e Cape-, efpecially as tliere is 

 little chance of liaving a fair wind. In a fubfequent 

 chapterj I (hall more fully confider this fubjed, and 

 fpcciiy other precautions necefiary to be oblerved in 

 failing on that ocean. 



C H A P. HI. 



Arrival at Fernando de Norona, Defcription of the 

 Jjland. * 



\^E now, from our reckonings and other figns, 

 concluded that we could not be at any great 

 diftance from the ifland we were fearching for; and 

 accordingly on the 20th of May, when a fog came 

 on with, rain, we laid to under our top -fails, rather 

 from an apprehenfion of overiliooting the ifland than 

 of lofing company or running foul of each other. On 

 the 21ft, having an appearance of fair weather, the 

 frigates made fiil, and ac half an hour after nine, the 

 Louis Erafme difcovercd the ifland bearing weft one 

 quarter foucheriy, diftance nine leagues, as was after- 

 wards verified by the log- line. 



This ifland we imagined to be totally defart ; but 

 from a fuppofuion that for the conveniency of its har- 

 bour, fliipá of any nation returning from the Haft- 

 Indifs might, either for water, or on any other neceflary 

 cccaflon put in there, it was agreed by\ the captains of 

 « 



* Tiie Portugutze have induiirioufly fpread a report of the bar- 

 rennefs of this ifland, aj'.hou^h ic is weli known to iholl- who have 

 h?.d the fortune to touch thcie, that there h not ?. more fertile iiland 

 in ihJe feas, nor any one th.Tt affords füch plenty of neceiFarics, 



A. 



the 



