34^ Hijîorlcal Jowrml of 



ihore than once to cut av/ay fome of the Tackling, to free us 

 from this Embarraflment. It was worfe ftlll when we came to 

 the Fa/Tes, for the Currents always drew us into the neareft with 

 great Violence. We got even into one of the fmalleft, and I 

 could never yet conceive how we could get out again. We 

 came off however with the Lofs of an Anchor, which we left 

 there : We had already loft one two Days before, fo that we had 

 only two remaining. Such a bad Beginning, made us a little 

 thoughtful, but the Youth and little Skill of thofe with whom 

 they had truHed us, gave us ftill more Unealinefs. 



The J^our is a very pretty VefTel, of three hundred Tons 

 The Shii) illcom ^Airthen. It failed from France with a very 

 tp I cm- good Crew, under the Condud of a Captain 

 ^ * who underftood his Bufuiefs, and a Lieu- 



tenant who had a very good Charaèler. The latter was left fick 

 at St, Domingo: The Captain, foon after his Arrival at the 

 Biloxiy quarrelled with one of the Diredlors of the Company, 

 who difplaced him. To fupply the Places of thefe two Officers, 

 they have chofen a young Man of St. Maloy who came three 

 Years ago to Louijianay in the Station of Pilot's Mate, or Ap- 

 prentice, and who fince that Time got the Command of a 

 Sloop in the Road of the Biloxi, to go fometimes to la Maubile^ 

 and lometimes to Nenju Orleans , with Provifions. He appears to 

 have every Thing that is requifite to become a fkilful Mariner; 

 he loves his Buiinefs, and applies himfelf to it ; but we Ihould 

 be very willing to fee nothing of his little Experience, efpe- 

 cially in a Navigation which is attended with great Diffi- 

 culties. 



He has for his fécond, an Officer who came from France in 

 the Quality of Enlign ; he alfo is a young Man, very fit to 

 be a Subaltern under Principals of E^Jperience, who would leave 

 nothing to him but the Care of executing their Orders. It 

 would be hard to find a Seaman of more Courage in a Storm, 

 which he has been ufed to from his Childhood, in the painful 

 Fifheries of Newfoundland \ and two or three Shipwrecks, from 

 which he has happily efcaped, has given him a Confidence, 

 which I fliall be much furprifed, if he does not come into a bad 

 Plight by. 



Our firfi: Pilot appears a little more experienced than thefe 

 two Officers, and they depend much on the Knowledge he has 

 pf the Channel of Bahama^ which he has palFed once already. 

 But this is but little to be acquainted with this PafTage the moft 

 dangerous that there is in the American Seas, and where they 

 reckon Shipwrecks by thoufands. Moreover, I am greatly ap^ 

 prehenfive that a certain felf-fufficient Air which I obferve in 

 hiîn, \n\\ produce feme fat^l Effect, He h^s two Subalterns, 

 % who 



