1 693-] A. VIOLENT TEMPEST, 141 



of our Vessel made us so Sea-sick,^ that we had hardly any 

 strength left ; and our Interpreter^ himself, the Champion 

 that had put himself at the Head of his Party, remain'd 

 motionless in the Hold of the Ship. Then both he^ and the 

 other contrivers of this Enterprize, had reason to be con- 

 vinc'd of the vanity of their Imaginations, in that they had 

 form'd to themselves an Idea of the easiness of this Passage, 

 while not one of them, but wou'd willingly have return'd 

 immediately back,"* had such a design been Practicable. But 

 we were forc\l to continue in this sad Condition, from eleven 

 a Clock at Night to two in the Morning ; at which time we 

 found we had passed all the Eocks,^ by reason we heard no 

 more the Waves beat against them. We had hitherto ply'd 

 our Oars only,^ but now we began to make use of our Sails, 

 and take a little Breath. Next day we had the Wind very 

 Variable, and for six days after, it was altogether against 

 us ; which, as we since understood, is not a little extra- 

 ordinary in those Seas.'^ I remember we were oblig'd to 

 throw our boil'd Provisions over-board being full of Worms, 

 and reserv'd only a little Lamatin (a sort of Fish) broird,^ 



1 In orig. : " nous mettait dans un accablemeut." 



2 In orig. : " notre harangueur." 



^ Probably Paul Benelle. (JMuller.) 



■* In orig. : " en arriere et regaguer Pile ; mais la chose etoit impos- 

 sible." 



2 In orig. : " tous les poiutes, & que nous etions assez avant en mer." 



6 In orig. : " Nous avions toujours rame jusquel^, maisalors, nousne 

 nous servimes plus que de la voile." 



7 The sovith-east " Trade-drift'' current runs to the westward at the 

 rate of twenty to twenty-five miles a day, between the parallels of about 

 8° S. and 27° S. It separates to the eastward of Rodriguez island into 

 two branches, one flowing past the north end of Madagascar at the rate 

 of thirty-six to sixty miles a day, and the other past the south end. at 

 the rate of about fifty miles a day. This current enabled Leguat'sboat 

 to drift in the direction of Mauritius, in spite of the contrary wind. 

 These temporary disturbances of the regular trade-wind are not very 

 unusual at Mauritius from October to May. The Creoles term these 

 warm breezes ^^ vents Malgachen"^ 



* "Boucaue." Cf. siipra^ pp. 76, 108. 



