362 A VOYAGE TO Book IX. 



From the ifland of Tobago, they continued their 

 courfe to Martinico, and in order to this ñee ed all 

 the night of the 20th betwixt the ifland of Barbad ¡es 

 and St. Vincent. On the jOdi, when they imagined 

 themfelves betwixt thofe iilands, having fleered N. one 

 quarter northerly, they had no fn^ht of any land. On 

 the firft of July they were in 14°, 30' lat. and by eili- 

 mate a degree weft of Tobago: and thus the fii- 

 gatc Ihould have been not far from the ifland and 

 to windward of Martinico; but they ilill were out 

 of fight of all land. So great a difference in the 

 iliort time of two days Uúl was conjedtnred to prv)ceed 

 from currents •, but the greateft perplexity was to de- 

 termine whether they feC to the eaft or weft. This 

 doubt, however, was removed by confidering that it 

 was impoffible they could have pafied through the knot 

 of ifl^nds, from Granada to Martinico, without fee- 

 ing at kail one oí them, even if it had been in the 

 night time, as befides their magnitude, tlie great 

 concern they were under of meeting the enemy, caufed 

 them to keep a very careful look out. It was there- 

 fore concluded that the frigate could not be to the 

 weft of Martinico, but that the currents had drove 

 her to the eaftvvard. Accordingly they fteered S, W. 

 one quarter weilerly, in order to fall in with it; and 

 after failing thus thirty leagues without making any 

 land, other rcíleílions arofe, though ftill with fome 

 apprchenfion thai they were to the weft of Marti- 

 nico ; and now the courfe was altered to north, v\ith'p. 

 out knowing the place where the fnip adually was, in 

 order to avoid the danger, that if (he was on the 

 weft fide, by fleering as the day before fhe would fall 

 to leeward of the harbours of Puerto-Rico or St. 

 Domingo; and thus find it extremely difficuit to 

 reach any port. The wind was at E. N.E. and 

 keeping as clofe to it as poluble, on the fourth at 

 half an hour alter three in the afternoon, they made 



the 



