1690.] THE FAMOUS TIIULE. 7 



East Wind, which fill'd our Sails to our Hearts content ; 

 but the next Night it chopp'd about, and became contrary : 

 there rose also a Tempest, which, however, did us no more 

 hurt than to make us pay the usual Tribute to the Sea. The 

 ]4th the Wind shifting to the South-west, our Admiral fir'd 

 a Gun, to make us keep our Way Northward. The next 

 Day we spy'd tlie Isles of Schctland, in the height of 29 deg. 

 42 niin. The 18th we made those Isles, and our Ship 

 doubled the Cape, but with much dithculty ; the Man that 

 was at the Helm, and had not perceiv'd that our Vessel was 

 carry'd away by a rapid Current, was surpriz'd when he saw 

 a fiat IJock, wliich was not above a Foot under Water, and 

 but seven or eight Fathom distant from us ; he cry'd out so 

 terribly, that we were all friglitened, and every Man began 

 to strip, in hopes of swimming to the Island; but the Water 

 was deep enough at the side of the Ivock for our poor little 

 Frigat to pass, and we had the good Fortune to escape 

 being Ship-wreck'd. 



Such as have been as far as this End of the World, says 

 an ancient Author, as far as the famous Thuk, have a IJiglit 

 to Lye with Impunity, and to make themselves be believ'd 

 without fear of l^eing reprehended ; and certainly tlie 

 Number of those that make use of tiiis Privilege is very 

 great, conformable to an old Proverb of ours, A Beau mcntir 

 qui vient dc Loin ; — A good Lyer ought to come a great way. 

 — As for us, we shall say nothing but exact Truth, no more 

 than if we had never been as far as Thulc. 



This Island makes us still afraid as often as we think of 

 it, and as we were all of us busie endeavouring to preserve 

 our selves from this new Danger, one of our Seamen spy'd 

 a French Privateer^ bearing down upon us with all the Sail 

 she could make. We went to Prayers, and prepar'd to 

 defend our selves ; but we were so happy as to escape this 

 Enemy also ; for after we had doubled the Cape, we found 

 ' lu original " un copre", a Dutch term for a corsair. 



