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Negro, within four leagues of Isle Grande, and the morning follow- 

 ing reached a bay in that island. The land isin general very high 

 and irregular; in the interior it is well wooded, and contains some 

 excellent iron ore which is very little known. Its coasts are but par- 

 tially inhabited. The strait which separates it from the main 

 land is an excellent harbour in all its extent, and was the rendez- 

 vous of some English privateers during our war with Spain. The 

 country in its vicinity is well clothed with large timber, and appears 

 very fruitful, but is thinly peopled by a set of men, whose manners 

 and pursuits denote them to be outcasts from society. In the 

 evening we entered a fine bay, and procured some refreshment at a 

 house on the beach, where we intended to pass the night, but a plan 

 had been laid to rob us, and we were obliged, on discovering it, tO 

 re-imbark before day-break, much rejoiced at having narrowly 

 escaped the loss of our property and our lives. Pursuing our course 

 among the many islands, with which this part of the coast is studded, 

 we passed the beautiful and fertile island of Madeira, and, at noon, 

 crossed two wide bays, A favourable breeze now, for the first time, 

 sprung up, which lasted until we arrived at Zapitiva, and here, 

 ended our romantic canoe-voyage. 



I would strongly recommend to every traveller, pursuing a similar 

 course, the expediency of providing himself with a soldier commis- 

 sioned to attend him, and to protect his person and property against 

 the evil-minded persons, who prowl about the coast in search of 

 plunder, and greedily seek every opportunity of securing, by fraud 

 or force, the property of defenceless passengers. We had more than 

 once occasion to rue the neglect of this precaution. 



At Zapitiva, we met with excellent accommodations. The owner 

 of the house at Avhich we put up, furnished us with a plentiful sup- 

 per offish, fowls, coffee, and excellent sweet-meats, which we relished 

 the more from having for eight days subsisted wholly on fi«h. Our 

 lodgings were tolerably comfortable, and were rendered more so by 

 the earnestness with which every one in the family strove to please 



