14 AVOYAGETO Book I. 



part of thefe are gradually difperfed by the heat of the 

 fun, fo that Ibme parts are quite clear, others obfcure ; 

 but a general darknefs during the whole day is never 

 known. 



It is well known and allowed, that, through the 

 whole extent of the ocean, not the leaft current is per- 

 ceivable, till we arrive within the iflands, where in Ibme 

 parts they are lb ftrong and irregular, that, without the 

 greateft vigilance and precaution, a fhip will be in great 

 danger among this archipelago. This fubje^l, together 

 with the winds peculiar to this coaft, (hall hereafter b^ 

 confidered more at large. 



In the trad: to Martinico and Dominica, there is a 

 fpace where the water, by its white colpur, vifibly dif- 

 tinguifhes itfelf from the reft of the ocean. Don George, 

 by his eftimate, found this fpace to terminate lOO 

 leagues from Martinico whereas, according to my 

 reckoning, it reached only to within 108 leagues-, it 

 may therefore, at a medium, be placed at 104. This 

 fmall difference, doubtlefs, proceeds from the difficulty 

 of difcovering where this whitifh colour of the water ter- 

 minates, towards Martinico. It begins at about 140 

 leagues from that ifland, which muft be underftood of 

 the place where the different colours of the water are e- 

 vident ; for, if we reckon from where it begins to be 

 juft difcernible, the diftance is not lefs than 1 80 leagues. 

 This tra6l of water is a certain mark for diredling one's 

 courfe ; becaufe, after leaving it, we have the fatisfadtion 

 of knowing the remaining diftance : it is not delineated 

 on any map, except the new one lately publifhed in 

 France ; though it would doubtlefs be of great ufe in 

 them all. 



Nothing farther remains, than to give an account of 

 the variation of the needle in different parts in which 

 we found the fhip by her latitude and longitude; a point 

 of the utmoil confequence in navigation, not only with 

 regard to the general advantage to mariners in knowing 

 the number ot degrees intercepted between the magnetic 



and 



