THE WINDWARD AND CAEIBBEE ISLANDS. 525 



on the S.E. part of it. Saba seems, from this situation, equal in size to 

 the visible part of St. Eustatius ; but it shows only an eminence without 

 peaks, with declivities, and almost round. 



If a smaU islet appears to the West of, and very near to St. Eustatius, 

 that must not confuse you; for it is the N.W. extremity of that island ; 

 and, on getting nearer, you will perceive the land which connects it with 

 the S.E, part. Mount Misery, on St. Christopher, which has a very high 

 and sharp peak, on the Eastern part of its summit, seems at a distance to 

 be the summit of Mount Eustatius ; but it cannot be mistaken for such, 

 if you attend to its surface being more unequal than the table-land at the 

 top of St. Eustatius ; and that there is another less elevated mountain to 

 the East, and with gentle declivities, which show much land to the East 

 and West of the high peak. 



When you are 18 miles to the East of St. Bartholomew, its N.W\ ex- 

 tremity appears insulated, and has the appearance of a pretty large island, 

 on the top of which there are four small steps (like steps of stairs, Esca- 

 lones), with a considerable strait to the South, between it and the principal 

 island ; in the middle of this strait you may also see a smaller islet ; this 

 is really one of the islets which surround the island ; but the first is only 

 the N.W. point, to the North of which you will see some islets : all these 

 are much nearer St. Bartholomew than St. Martin. 



Finally, in navigating from one of the Antillas to another, there is no 

 difficulty, unless you have to get from leeward to windward ; yet this will 

 be reduced to a trifling consideration if the passage be made by the straits 

 to the Northward of Martinique, in which the currents are weakest ; but 

 the same does not follow in the Southerly straits, in which the waters set 

 with more vivacity toward the West : and it would be impracticable by 

 the Straits of Tobago, Grenada, and St. Vincent, in which the waters 

 commonly run at the rate of not less than 2 miles an hour. 



Paeticular Instructions for the Navigation op the Windward 



Islands, etc. 



It has been remarked, by an experienced captain in the Royal Navy, 

 that for sailing vessels bound to Jamaica or any of the ports in the Northern 

 range of islands (the Bahamas excepted), the safest land to make is the 

 Island of Desirade, near Guadaloupe ; for, if you should not see other 

 land before dark, you may haul to the Northward, into the latitude of 

 Montserrat, having nearly 60 miles to run on, during the night. Some 

 commanders make St. Martin or St. Bartholomew, when bound to Tortola, 

 St. Thomas, St, Croix, and the islands to leeward ; but in this case they 

 should be aware of the dangerous Island of Barbuda, and also of Anguilla; 

 for a small error in the latitude, perhaps, from want of an observation, or 

 irregularity in the current, would place them in a very perilous situation^ 

 should they attempt to run on in the night. 



Strangers should pass St. Martin, when they make it, on the North 

 side, the passage between it and Anguilla being clear ; St, Bartholomew, 



