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tangled with the land under Cape Race. In this 

 uncertainty we refolved to confulc the captain of the 

 Englimman that lay a-head of us, and Chaviteau 

 was charged with this com million. He reflected at 

 his return, that the Englifh had been as much fur- 

 prized at finding themfelves in this bay as we were,' 

 but with this difference, that this was the place whi- 

 ther their bufinefs led them ; that Cape Race was 

 before us, and Cape du Brole ten leagues below; 

 that from the mid ft of thofe breakers, on which we 

 had like to have been caft away, there iffued a ri- 

 ver, at the entry of which there was an Engliih 

 fettlement, whither this fmall veiTei was bound with 

 provifions. 



About fifteen years ago, there happened to us a 

 very lingular adventure in this very paffage, and 

 which expofed us to, perhaps, as great danger as 

 that which I have been relating. This was a few 

 days after the 1 5th of Auguft, and till then we had 

 been much incommoded with exceffive heats. One 

 morning, as we were getting up we were feized 

 with fo intenfe a cold as to be obliged to have re- 

 courfe to our winter garments. We could, by no 

 means imagine the caufe of this, as the weather 

 was extremely fine, and as the wind did not blow 

 from the north. At laft, on the third day there- 

 after, at four o'clock in the morning, one of the 

 failors cried out with all his might, Luff, lufF, that 

 is, place the helm fo as to bring the fhip nearer to 

 the wind. He was obeyed, and the moment there- 

 after, we perceived an enormous piece of ice which 

 glanced along the fide of the veiTei, and again ft 

 which (he mull infallibly have been ftove to pieces, 

 if the failor had not been endued with mariner's 

 eyes, for we could fcarce fee it, and if the man at 

 the helm had been lefs alert in (hitting the tiller. 



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