travels in North A met it a. 359 



€ttard all Night, and we departed very early in the Morn- 

 ing. 



The Weather was charming, and the Sea fine, and our Com- 

 TheBoat takes P^i^Y t>egan to envy thofe that were in the 



^1 n . jr^L -D* Boat, as having taken the better Courfe. Some 

 the Rotae of the DX- u c r^x.- r i 



l^^j began to murmur at it, & our Chiefs thought 



it beft to feem willing to fatis fy them : So 

 they took the Route of the Channel. After two Hours, the 

 Wind grew ftronger, and they fancied they faw the Appearances 

 of a Storm ; then they all agreed that it was Ralhnefs.to en- 

 gage ourfelves in fuch a long Traverfe, in fuch Boats as our's ; 

 for nothing could be weaker than our Boats, which took Water 

 every where : But as to go to St, Augufiiuy we muft have gone 

 all the Way back which we had made hitherto, we unanimoufly 

 agreed to go towards the Biloxi. 



So we made the Weft, but we did not advance much that 

 Great Currents "^Qrt obliged to pafs the Night 



h^t^veen the Mar- Boat, which was far from having Room 



t rs and the T r" ^^^^§^ ^ ^^7 down. The 27th, we 



tic Iflands^ " ^^^^^P^^ Ifland, where we found 



fome Cabins forfaken, fonie Paths a great 

 deal trodden, and the Footfteps of Spanijh Shoes. This is thefirft 

 of the Turtle IJIands. The Soil is the fame as at the Martyrs. I can^t 

 conceive what Men can do in fuch a bad Country, and fo diftant 

 from any human Habitation. We ftill fteered Weft, and we 

 failed with fuch a Rapidity, that could only proceed from the 

 Currents. 



We went a great Way again the 25th, till Noon. Though 

 we had little W"lnd, the Iflands feemed to run Poft-hafte 

 by the Side of us. At Noon we took the Elevation, which 

 we found twenty-four Degrees fifteen Minutes. If our Sea 

 Charts were exadl, we were at the Weft End of the Turtk 

 IJIands, It was hazardous to engage ourfelves in the open Sea, 

 and if I could have governed, we fliould have left all theie 

 Iflands on the Left Hand ; but our Officers were afraid they 

 ihould not find a PafTage between them and the Continent* 

 They had great Reafon to repent it, for wc were afterwards 

 two Days without feeing Land, tho' we fteered continually 

 North and North Eaft. 



Then our Sailors began to defpair, and in Reality there needed 

 The Sailor d ^^^^ a Guft of Wind, feveral of which wa 

 e ai ors ^- often met with, to drown us. Even the 

 •'^ * calm Weather had its Inconveniencies ; they 



were obliged to row all Day, and the Heat v/as exceflive. The 

 Sailors had Reafon enough to be diiTatisfied : The Obftinacy of 

 two oj thre^ People had expofed us to the Danger in which we 



found 



