dampier's account. 709 



Islaucls,* under the margiual date ^^An. 1G75," he says, "Here 

 are many Seals : they come up to sun themselves only on two 

 or three of the Islands, I don't know whether exactly of the 

 same kind with those in colder Climates, as I have noted in my 

 former Book, they always live where there is plenty of Fish. 



"To the North of these Islands lyes a long ledge of Eocks, 

 bending like a Bow; it seems to be 10 or 12 Yards wide, 

 and about 4 Leagues long, and 3 Leagues distant from the 

 Island. They are above Water, all joyning very close to one 

 another, except at one or two Places, where are small Passages 

 about nine or ten Yards wide ; 't was through one of these that 

 Providence directed us in the Xight ; for the next Morning we 

 saw the Riff about half a Mile to the ]S"orth of us, and right 

 against us was a small Gap by which we had come in hither, 

 but coming to view it more nearly with our Boat, we did not care 

 to venture out that way again. . . . There we Anchored 

 and lay three or four days, and visited most of them, and found 

 plenty of such Creatures, as I have already described. 



"Though here was great store of such good Food and we like 

 to want, yet we did neither salt any, nor spend of it fresh to 

 save our Stock. I found them all but one Man averse to it, but 

 I did heartily wish them of another mind, because I dreaded 

 wanting before the end of the Voyage; a hazard which we 

 needed not to run, there being such plenty of Fowls and Seals 

 (especially of the latter), that the Spaniards do often come 

 hither to make Oyl of their Fat ; upon which account it has 

 been visited by English-men from Jamaica, iiarticularly by Capt. 

 Lonfi : who, having the Command of a small Bark, came hither 

 purposely to make Seal Oyl, and anchored on the North side of 

 one of the sandy Islands, the most convenient Place, for his 



design : Having got ashore his Cask to put his Oyl 



in, and set up a Tent for lodging himself and his Goods, he 

 began to kill the Seal, and had not wrought above three or 

 four days before a fierce North-wind blew his Bark ashore. By 

 good fortune she was not damnified : but his Company being 

 but small, and so despairing of setting her afloat again, they 



* "The Alacranes are 5 or 6 low sandy Islands, lying in the Lat. of about 

 23 d. North, and distant from the Coast of Jucatan about 25 Leagues; the 

 biggest is not above a Mile or two in Circuit. They are distant from one 

 another 2 or 3 ]Miles, not lying in a Line, but scattering here and there, with 

 good Cbannels of 20 or 30 Fathom Water, for a Shij) to pass between." 

 Dampier, Two Voyages to Campeacliey, etc., in his Voyage round the World, 

 vol. Ji, part 2, 3d ed., 1705, j). 23. 



