FROM TENERIFFE TO BRAZIL. 113 



by my instructions to determine ; but as the con- 

 tinued bad weather rendered this impossible, I 

 directed my course to the island of St. Catherine's. 

 On the following day we observed on the surface 

 of the sea, a serpentine streak, about two fathoms 

 broad, of a dark brown colour, which extended as 

 far as the eye could reach. At first sight I took 

 it for a shoal, but when we had let down a boat, 

 and Mr. Wormskloid had examined it, and brought 

 some of the water on board, we found that it was 

 formed of an innumerable number of small crabs, 

 and the seeds of a plant, which, according to the 

 affirmation of our naturalists, grows at the bottom 

 of the sea. 



On the 10th, when near the island of St. Cathe- 

 rine's, we were overtaken by a violent storm, 

 which did not abate till the following day ; at 

 three o'clock in the afternoon we descried the con- 

 tinent to the north of the island, and having tacked, 

 during the night, under few sails, on the 12th 

 stood in to the shore. At noon we were between 

 the islands of Alvaredo and Gal ; the weather was 

 uncommonly fine. We sailed by Alvaredo, which 

 lies very high, at the distance of two miles, and 

 were refreshed by the perfume which the wind 

 blew to us from this island, which is beautifully 

 covered with palm-trees, and luxuriant verdure. 

 It is only inhabited by crocodiles, numbers of which 

 swam round the Rurick as we passed it. I fired a 

 gun as a signal for a pilot ; but as none appeared, 



VOL. I. I 



