192 



On the morning of the loth inftant 

 the boatfwain defcried the higheft points of 

 Barbadoes, when land I land I was inftantly 

 echoed throughout the ihip, to the great joy 

 of all on board ; and to the boatfwain's pro- 

 fit, who, being the firfl: that founded the 

 glad tidings, became entitled to the cuftom- 

 ary fee of a bottle of rum, or brandy. It 

 required the eye of a failor to diftinguilli the 

 all-delighting terra firma, amidft the clouds : 

 the paflengers looked, and looked in vain ! a 

 nearer approach of yet fome leagues, was ne- 

 ceffary, to render it vifible to the eye of a 

 landfman, and when we, at length, difcerned 

 it, the earth appeared, only, as the more fixed 

 of the clouds— forming a dark ftreak a little 

 above the horizon. This ftreak grew, gra- 

 dually, more and more diftind, till, breaking 

 as we advanced, it became unequal, and af- 

 fumed the form of mountains ; and, at length, 

 the appearance of land. Soon we difcovered 

 it to bjS the northern point of the ifland of 

 Barbadoes ; but Carlifle-bay is to the fouth : 

 w^e had, therefore, to coaft round nearly 

 half the extent of the ifland, before we could 



