Ch.IV. south AMERICA. 229 



To the N. W. of this ifland, at the diftance of a 

 league and a haif, is a lofty fteep rock, with feveral 

 fmaller at its foot ; and one league and a half farther 

 to feaward, alfo on the N. W. fide of the ifland, 

 is a fhoal, which, though we at this time faw no 

 breakers on it, we took care to keep at a proper di- 

 fiance. And in my fecond voyage in the year 1744, 

 I had a cl^ar viev/ of it, fori not only faw the breakers, 

 it being then low water, and the fea running high, 

 but alio a reef of rocks at the water's edge. The 

 country pilots have afiured me, that by fleering in the 

 middle between this lhallow and the rock, there is a very 

 fafe channel, having in moft parts fifty or fixty fathom 

 water. 



In my fecond voyage above-mentioned, on board a 

 French frigate called La Delivrance, in the latitude of 

 36^ 54' and 2^ 24' W. of the illahd of Santa Maria, 

 about half an hour after making our obfervations, we 

 unexpe6ledly found ourfelves in a trad of thick 

 water of a yellowiili colour ; which naturally occa- 

 fioning a great furprize, we fcarted from the table, 

 being then at dinner, and haflened up to the. quar- 

 terdeck. It was now too late to put the (liip about ; 

 fhe being in the very center of it. This flioal, as it 

 appeared to us, flretched near two leagues from N* 

 to S. and was about fix or eiglu hundred toifes 

 over from E. to W. The colour of the water was 

 of fo deep a yellow, that after providence had happily 

 carried us through it, v/e could eafily diflinguifo it at 

 a confiderable diflance. I muft own our ccnflernation 

 was fuch from our concluding we were on a fnoal, as 

 there was all the appearance of it, that we had no 

 thoughts of bringing the frigate to, till we had got 

 our founding line in order, in fome parts the water 

 was of a deeper yellow, as being more fliailow. In 

 others vv^e could perceive rays of fea or green water, 

 intermixed with that of the fhoal. No chart has 

 taken any notice of it nor was it indeed before known 



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