THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 9 



It was curious to obfcrvc the different procedure of thefe 

 different nations upon the fame accident. As foon as the 

 fquall began to become violent, the mailers of the Ragufan 

 veffels, and the French caravaneurs, or veffels trading in the 

 Mediterranean, after having put out every anchor and cable 

 they had, took to their boats and fled to the nearefl fhore, 

 leaving the veffels to their chance in the florm. They knew 

 the furniture of their fliips to be too fiimfy to trufl their lives 

 to it. 



Many of their cables being made of a kind of grafs call- 

 ed Spartum, could not bear the flrefs of the veffels or agita- 

 tion of the waves, but parted with the anchors, and the fliips 

 perifhed. 



On the other hand, the Britifh, Danifli, Swedifh, and Dutch 

 navigators of the ocean, no fooner faw the florm beginning, 

 than they left their houfes, took to their boats, and went all 

 hands on board. Thefe knew the fumciency of their tackle, 

 and provided they were prefent, to obviate unforefeen acci- 

 dents, they had no apprehenfion from the weather. They 

 knew that their cables were made of good hemp, that their 

 anchors were heavy and flrong. Some pointed their yards 

 to the wind, and others lowered them upon deck. After- 

 wards they walked to and fro on their quarter-deck with 

 perfect compofure, and bade defiance to the florm. Not one 

 man of thefe flirred from the fhips, till calm weather, on the 

 morrow, called upon them to affifl their feeble and more 

 unfortunate brethren, whofe fhips were wrecked and lay 

 fcattered on the fhore. 



Vol. I. B The 



