8 An Hijîorical Journal of 



was too clear to have any Fog on that Side, if there was no 

 Land. 



At Day-break they all cried out that they faw Land, the Offi- 

 cer would not Vi3uchfafe fo much as to look that Way, but 

 Ihrugged up his Shoulders, and four o'Clock llriking, he goes 

 to Bed, affirming that when he waked, they would find this pre- 

 tended Land melted away. The Officer that fucceeded, who 

 was the Count de Vaudreuily being more wary, began furling 

 fome Sails, and foon faw this Precaution was necelTary. As foon 

 as it was Day-light they faw the Horizon almoft all bordered with 

 Land ; and they difcovered a fmall Engttjh VefTel at Anchor^ 

 about the Diftance of two Cannon Shot from us. de Voutrony 

 who was informed of it, immediately fent for the incredulous 

 Officer, who came out of his Cabin with much Reludance, where 

 he ftiîl perfifled that we could not be fo near Land ; he came, 

 however, after two or three Summonfes, and at Sight of the Dan- 

 ger we had been expofed to by his Obilinacy, he flood aflo- 

 jiifiied. He is, notwithftanding, the moft Ikilful Man in France 

 to navigate thefe Seas ; but too much Skill fometimes does Harni, 

 when we rely too much upon it. 



Neverthelefs, Madam, if the Wind had not failed the Day be- 

 fore, at four in the Afternoon, we had certainly been loll in the 

 Night ; for we were running full Sail upon fome Breakers, from 

 whence we could not have efcaped. The Difficulty was to know 

 v/hereabouts we were; it was certain we were not in 45 Degrees 

 the Day before, but were we more to the South or North ? On 

 this we were divided in our Opinions. One of our Officers 

 affirmed, that the Land v/e faw before us was Acadia ; that he 

 had been there before, and remembered it : Another afferted, that 

 it was the Illes of St. Peter : But what Probability is there that 

 we are fofar advanced ? It is but twenty-four Hours fmce we 

 were upon the Great Bank^ and it is more than 100 Leagues from, 

 the Great Bank to the Jfles of St. Peter. The Pilot Ch.a'viteau- 

 maintained it was Cape Race: What a Miftake, fays he, is there 

 in our Reckoning! there is no Doubt of it, and it is no Wonder, 

 as it is impoffible to make Allov/ances for Currents we do not know, 

 and which vary continually, as we have had no Obfervation 

 to correal our Errors ; but there is no Probability that we 

 iliould be either on the Coails of Acadia, or on the Ifles of 

 St. Peter, His Reafons appeared * good, yet we fhould have 



* About 5 Years after, the fame Chanjiteau miftook in his Reckoning in a 

 Manner much more fatal 5 he was ftiil Mafter of the Camel, and having been 

 feveral Days without an Obfervation, the Night of the 25th of Augufi, this 

 Ship was viTCcked upon a Rock near Louijhourg, in Ijle Royal, and no 

 Perfon was faved. They found by the Journals of the Pilots, that they 

 reckoned themfelves 70 Leagues from that Place. 



been 



