4 TRAVELS through 



and embark in the ihip called the Pontchartrain^ 

 of 400 tuns. M le Normant had freighted this 

 lliip for the King's account, in order to tranf- 

 port four companies of the marines, whom we 

 took in at the citadel on the ifle of Rhe : they 

 were deftined to reinforce the garrifon of New 

 Orleans. 



We fet fail from Rochelle the 26th of Decem- 

 ber, and had contrary winds for above a fort- 

 night on the coaft of Spain. We were already 

 willing to put in at Corunna^ in order to be fhel- 

 tered from the violence of the winds ; when 

 happily the wind fhifted ; and, towards the end 

 of January, we were in fight of Madeira^ an 

 ifle belonging to Portugal * ; it is called the 

 queen of iflands, on account of its fertility and 

 the excellence of its foil ; it has near twenty 

 leagues in circumference, produces good v/ines, 

 and very fine fruits. 



On the 15th of February we palTed the tropic 

 of Cancer. The next day the failors fpent in 



• fome 



* It is an African ifland in the Atlantic ocean, and fitu- 

 ated to the north of the Canary iflands ; which latter were 

 difcovered in 1417, by a Norman gentleman called Jean 

 Bethencmrty who bore the title of King of the Canaries, 

 and made the conquefl of them to the Spaniards, whopoflefs 

 them now. 



