the South Sea. 



Fernando de Noronba ; therefore the Currents cannot fct 

 to the S. W. 



To this I anfwer, J. That the Currents which fet along 

 the Coaft of Brafil, coming to meet the new Lands of 

 SibaWs Iflands and St at en Land, turn off to the Eaftward, 

 as feveral Ships have found by Experience ; after which, they 

 fometimes fall into another Channel of Currents, which 

 fets to the Coaft of Guinea. There needs no more than 

 cafting an Eye on the Charts of the Coafts of Africa and 

 of South America, to be fenfible of the Likelihood of this 

 Conjecture. 



2. Thefe Errors proceed from the Charts, as fliall be faid 

 in its Place, and particularly thofe of Pieter Goes, which 

 our Navigators make moft ufe of. This Error of Pofitioa 

 is not always perceivd upon making the Coafts of Brafil 

 coming from Europe, becaufe Ships are often carry'd thither 

 by the Currents, as I have juft now obferv'd,- a 1^ that not 

 knowing whether their Bent is to the Eaft or to the Weft, 

 they often do not correct the Leagues, as we almoft all of 

 us did in our Voyage, following therein the Example of 

 moft of the Dutch -> fo that it is not to be wonder'd that we 

 found thofe Charts good which they have made by their 



Be that as it will, it is certain, that from the Ifland of 

 S. Vincent to that of S. Katharine, we ran above 60 Leagues 

 to the Southward, beyond our Computation, tho' we had 

 an Obfervation almoft every Day, and took our Precautions 

 upon our Error ; and yet notwithftanding all that, we ar- 

 riv'd at the Ifland of S. Katharine the 31ft of March, exa&ly 

 with our Points on Pieter Goofs Chart, abciut ten Leagues 

 more or lefs, one from another : Where it may be inferr'd, 

 that if we had given way to the Weftward, we had ran far 

 in upon the Land, as has happen'd to moft French Ships 

 bound for the South-Sea. 



Tuefday, March the 30th, believing ourfelves to be near 

 Land, we founded about Six in the Evening, and found 

 90 Fathom Water, the Bottom Sand, Owze 3 and Shells j 



D 



two 



