( 3*7 ) 



On the twelfth at noon, after having fuffered by- 

 extreme heats for feveral days, and which were ftill 

 more intolerable in the night than in the day time, 

 we difcovered Cape de Sed on the North more of 

 the ifland of Cuba, and very high land. At fun 

 fet we were eaft of it, kept the Cape on our eaftern 

 quarter, and fo failed along in fight of the fhore. 

 On the morrow at day-break wc were abreaft of the 

 Havanna. This city is eighteen leagues from Cape 

 Sed •, and half way to it, you difcover a pretty high 

 mountain, the fummit of which is a kind of plat- 

 form : they call it la table a Marianne* Marianne's 

 table. 



Two leagues beyond the Havanna, there is a 

 fmall fort on the coaft which bears the name 

 of la Hogue, and from which you firft difco- 

 Ver le Pain* or loaf of Matanzas. This is a 

 mountain, the fummit of which is fhaped like 

 an oven, or if you will a loaf. This ferves to 

 diftinguifli the Bay of Matanzas, which is fourteen 

 leagues from the Havanna. The heat continued to 

 encreafe, for we were now on the limits or frontiers 

 of the Torrid Zone. Befides, we had fcarce a 

 breath of wind, and advanced only by favour of 

 the current, which bore us to the eaftward. 



On the fourteenth, towards fix in the evening* 

 we faw from the top-maft head, the land of Flo- 

 rida. There is no prudent navigator who happens 

 to have this profpedt, without fix or feven hours 

 daylight at leaft, but who tacks about and ftands 

 out to the fea till morning; there being no fea in 

 the whole ocean where there is a greater neceffity 

 of a clear profpect, becaufe of the various cur- 

 rents, with which we can never, with reafon, be- 

 lieve ourfelves fufficiently acquainted. We have a 



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