( 6 ) 



albicores, and flying-fish ; numbers of the latter frequently darted 

 against our sails and fell on board ; they afforded excellent eating. 

 The quantity of bonitos we caught filled all our empty barrels, and 

 as our ballast was salt, we easily preserved them. Their flesh 

 being coarse and dry, cannot be relished without good sauce, and 

 for this reason we threw away all except the choice parts. Our 

 attention was constantly engaged by the numbers of these lively 

 fish swimming and darting in all directions, and by the efforts of 

 the poor defenceless flying-fish to avoid them. The latter, leaping 

 out of the water for safety, frequently fell into their pursuers' 

 mouths, which were ever erect and open to receive their prey. 

 At night the vivid phosphorescent appearance of these countless 

 shoals, ever in quick motion, bore a near resemblance to that of 

 a fire-brand whirled violently about. They attended our course for 

 twelve or fourteen days, and at length forsook us, much to our 

 regret, as they had so long constituted our sole amusement. 



Wearied and exhausted by frequent calms under a vertical sun, 

 we were at length relieved by a breeze ; and crossing the line at lon- 

 gitude 23^ W. had a favourable passage to the mouth of the great 

 river Plata, our entrance into which we were enabled to judge 

 from the muddy colour of the water and from numerous flights of 

 sea-birds, long before we saw land. 



Our passage was impeded by a strong south-west gale, in these 

 parts called a Pampero, which blew for several days, and obliged us 

 to lay the vessel to during the whole time; we shipped so much 

 water that our boats were hourly in danger of being washed away, 

 and, owing to the stupid carelessness of a Genoese sailor, our cabin 

 was at one time half-filled. The gale at length ceased ; a breeze 

 sprung up to the eastward, and we made all possible sail : after run- 

 ning a south-west course for two days, we found soundings at thirty- 

 five fathoms water, and on the second day following at noon, saw the 

 high land of Maldonado at a distance of about nine leagues, and the 

 Jsle of Lobos four or five leagues ahead. Passing through the chan-^ 



