( 3^7 ) 



currents in our favour. Then fending a man 

 up to the maft-head to obferve what was before 

 us, he foon came down, telling us that he had 

 feen the extremity of the ifland; but that be- 

 yond it he could difcover nothing but low lands 

 interfered with channels in which the water 

 appeared entirely white. Upon hearing this, we 

 thought proper to tack, and lay the veflel's 

 head north-north-eaft. At mid-night we lay 

 fouth-fouth-eaft, and it feemed as if the wind 

 turned about at our pleafure ; but it was very 

 weak and the currents carried us with greac 

 violence to the weftward ; fo that at break 

 of day the low lands and fhoals which we 

 the evening before faw fo far a-head of us, 

 were now almoft as far behind us, and the 

 paflfage we were in queft of began to open. 



The moment now approached which was to 

 decide our fate, and what gave us great hopes 

 was, that the wind by degrees veered about 

 to the north-eaft. At eleven o'clock we lay 

 fouth-eaft one quarter fouth, and foon after 

 fouth-eaft; but the currents made us fall fo 

 faft to leeward, that we fcarce made a fouth 

 courfe. At noon we had no observation, and 

 the weftern point of the Caicos lay north quar- 

 ter north-eaft. At laft, in an hour's time we 

 were got into the pafiage ; and I cannot bet- 

 ter explain to you what appeared on the faces 

 of all, in proportion as we advanced in the 

 channel, than by comparing it to what hap- 

 pens to thofe animals which are put into 

 the receiver of an air-pump, and lie as dead 

 when the air is almoft all extracted out of it, 



but 



