370 A VOYAGE TO Book IX. 



of rocks which fence it againfl: the impetuofity of the 

 fea. The chi^'f inconveniencv is, that when the breeze 

 blows ftrong, it is extremely difficult and dangerous 

 for boats to land ; for thofe w?nds, efpecially at E. N. E.- 

 fvveep along the v, hole harbour. 



-At the end of the month of Anguft, the French 

 fquadron under Mr. Deftiirbier de I'Etanduere, which 

 had been expecud from Leogane, came into the 

 harbour of Cape Francois i it confifted of the follow- 

 ing five iliips: 



Le Juile, the commodore, of — 70 guns 



L'Alcide . 70 



L'Ardent • — < 60 



Le Caribou ■■ 50 



La Mutine ■ 26 



Several merchant ihips bound for Europe, took 

 the advantage of failing vviith this convoy j and on 

 the 6th of September, the whole fleet put to fea to 

 the number of fifty- three fail, including the men 

 of war, frigates, brigantines, and bilanders. At 

 fun-fct Ficolet-point bore S. 5° VV. diilance four 

 leagues and a half The 7th they (leered /for Cay- 

 cos, and not getting fight of thefe iflands during 

 the day, it was thought advifeable to lay to all 

 night: but on the Sth at eight in the morning they 

 faw the Cayco-grande, an ifland of fand three leagues 

 in length, N. and S. but appears the more conlpi- 

 cuous from a few bufhes growing on it. At noon 

 its fouth point bore S. E. i foutherly dillant two 

 leagues and an half. By the latitude they obfcrved, 

 that of the ifland was fet do^n at 21° 35' and by 

 the CGurfe its loil^itude determined to be the fame 

 with that of Cape Francois, unlefs the current of the 

 waters, which was perceived to fet to the northward, 

 may be fuppofed to have occafioned fome fmail 

 error. 



TfiE frequent danger which the merchant fliips 

 were in of running foul of each other, and the re- 

 tardment 



