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to them that what they faw could not poffibly be 

 the land, but was a fog which would vanifli as 

 daylight came on. He was not able to perfuade 

 them of it, and they perfifted in maintaining that 

 the heavens were too ferene for any mift to be on 

 the oppofite fide, except the land lay that way like- 

 wife. 



At day-break, they all fell a crying out that 

 they faw the land. The officer, without even deign- 

 ing to look that way, ffirugged up his fhoulders, 

 and at four o'clock went to fleep, afliiring them, 

 that when he fhould awake he fhould find this pre- 

 tended land vaniflied. His fucceffor who was the 

 Count de Vaudreuil, being more cautious, imme- 

 diately ordered fome of the fails to be furled, and 

 was not long before he faw the necefTity of this pre- 

 caution. As foon as day appeared, we difcovered 

 the horizon all fet round with land, and at the 

 fame time a fmall Englifh veffel at anchor within 

 two cannon fhot of us. M. de Voutron being in- 

 formed of it caufed the incredulous officer to be cal- 

 led up that inflant, whom they had much to do to 

 get out of his cabbin, where he maintained that it 

 was impoffible we could have land fo near us. He 

 came, however, after two or three fummonfes, and 

 at fight of the danger to which his obftinacy had 

 expofed us, he was feized with aftonifhment.. He 

 is, notwithftanding the mod expert man in France 

 for navigating on thefe feas, but too great a (hare 

 of abilities is fometimes of prejudice when we place 

 too much confidence in them. 



Notwithftanding, Madam, if the wind had not 

 fallen at four o'clock in the evening before, we had 

 certainly gone to the bottom in the night ; for we 

 were running full fail upon breakers, from whence 



it 



