the South-Sea. 3x7 



hcnding a Shoal laid down in the Charts in our Way, ten 

 or twelve Leagues N. E. of the fame Point of the Ift.md 

 of S. Michael i fo that we muft have pafs'd over the Place 

 where it is. We ftould have been very cautious of fleer- 

 ing that Courfe, had not we been affured by the long 

 Experience of a Portugueze Captain, that of all the Shoals 

 laid down in the Charts about the Azores, there is real- - 

 ly none but that of Formigas, lying between S. Mary 

 and S. Michael, the other being barely deep Soundings, 

 on which there is no lefs than 40 or 50 Fathom Wa-*/ 

 ten but he warn' d us, that in thofe Places the. Sea was, 

 much more rough than elfewhere. He did not even ex- r 

 cept the three or four Shoals laid down about 60 Leagues 

 out at Sea, to the Weftward, on which he faid Iflanders 

 daily go a £tfhing, becaufe they there find abundance, 

 ofFilh. He may he believ'd, yet without relying entirely, 

 upon it, or being difturb'd at the Nearnefs of thole Places ; 

 for doubtlefs Mr. Halley h^s not left them out in his new, 

 Chart, without .good Reafons for fo doing, fince it is 

 of no lefs concern than the Lofs of fuch Ships as fliould* 

 confidently make ufe of the fame ; wherein in all appear-l 

 ance an Hydrographer fhould rather err in exceeding 

 than in omitting any tiling. The one can only occafion 

 fome Lofs of Time, or Tome groundless Fear ; but the 

 other may be the Caufe of fatal unexpe&ed Shipwrecks, 

 if any thing of that which is doubted fliould happen to 

 be found. Befides, it is polfible that the Sea may Ml y 

 and at one Time difcov-er that which was conceal'd at 

 another. 



I will here leave the Thread of my Relation, to tell 

 what the faid Captain told us concerning the Shoals and 

 the Abrolhos, laid down under the Line, to the Norths 

 ward of Cape S: Auguftin. He affirms, that feveral Navi- 

 gators have convinced him and all other Portugueze Cap-^ 

 tains failing to Brafil, that there are none of thofe foul 

 Places, except thofe all'd Penon de S. Pedro 3 which is a 



Rock 



