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thought proper to referve for fome more preffing 

 occafion ; we began likewife to be very frugal and 

 fparing of our provifion, efpecially the bifcuit, 

 part of which was fpoiled ; fo that we were now 

 reduced to the pure neceflary, having often for 

 a meal but a handful of rice, which we were obliged 

 to boil in brackim water. 



This coaft is the dominion of oifters, as the 

 great bank of Newfoundland and the gulf and 

 river of St. Lawrence are that of the cod-fimes. 

 All thefe low-lands, which we failed along as near 

 as poflible, are fkirted with mangroves, to which 

 are {tuck a prodigious number of fmall oifters 

 of an exquifite relifh ; others much larger and lefs 

 delicate are found in the fea in fuch numbers, as 

 to form fhoals, which are at firft taken for fo 

 many rocks level with the furface of the water. As 

 we did not dare to go to any diftance from fhore, 

 we often got into pretty deep bays or creeks, which 

 we were obliged to coaft quite round, and which 

 lengthened our courfe prodigioufly. But the mo- 

 ment the land difappeared, our crew thought them- 

 felves wholly undone. 



On the fifteenth in the morning, we met a Spanim 

 fhaliop, in which were about fifteen perfons. Thefe 

 were part of a fhip's crew that had been caft away 

 near the river St. Martin. This misfortune had 

 befallen them about five and twenty days before, 

 and they had but a very fmall fhallop to contain 

 forty- four perfons, fo that they were obliged to 

 ufe it by turns, and confequently to make very 

 fhort journies. This rencounter was to us a viable 

 interpofition of providence, for had it not been for 

 the inftruclions which the Spanim captain gave us, 

 we had never found the right courfe to fteer, and 



the 



