344 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



The latitude of our place, at noon, had been 15 32' 12", 

 I reclined my quadrant, and hung it up. Seeing the clear 

 of the Lyre not far from the meridian, I was willing to be 

 certain of that dangerous place we had fallen upon. By- 

 two observations of Lucida Lyra, and Lucida Aquila, and by a 

 mean of both, I found the bank to be in lat. 15 28' 15" 

 north. 



There was a circumitance, during the hurry of this 

 transaction, that gave us all reafon to be furprifed. The 

 ghoft was fuppoled to be again feen on the boltfprit, as if 

 pufhing the veflel afhore ; and as this was breaking cove- 

 nant with me, as a paffenger, I thought it was time fome 

 nonce fliould be taken of him, fmce the Rais had referred 

 it entirely to me. I inquired who the perfons were that 

 had feen him. Two moors of Hamazen were the firft that 

 perceived him, and afterwards a great part of the crew 

 had been brought to believe the reality of this vifion. I 

 called them forward to examine them before the Rais, and 

 Mahomet Gibberti, and they declared that, during the night, 

 they had feen him go and come feveral times ; once, he was 

 pufhing againfl the boltfprit, another time he was pulling 

 upon the rope, as if he had an anchor afhore ; after this 

 he had a very long pole, or flick, in his hand, but it fcemed 

 heavy and ftiflT, as if it had been made of iron, and when 

 the vefTel began to move, he turned into a fmall blue flame, 

 ran along the gunnel on the larboard fide of the fhip, and, 

 upon the veflel going off, he disappeared. " Now, faid I, " it 

 is plain by this change of fhape, that he has left us for 

 ever, let us therefore fee whether he has done us any 

 harm or not. Hath any of you any baggage flawed for- 

 wards ?" The flrangers anfwered, " Yes, it is all there. Then 



laid 



