Part IL Travels into the L, e v a n t, î g 
good luck to level their (hot juft, they fail not to cut it fliort oflf : this is the 
\Courfe they take in the Mediteranean Sea \ but if that fucceed not, they betake 
î^mïe'ves to the Superftition, which I would not pradife, though I knew it^ 
haVxng learned it in my former Travels. One of thê Ships Company kneels down 
by the Main-Maft, and holding in one Hand a Knife with a Black Handle (with- 
out which they never go on Board for that reafon) he Reads the Gofpel of 
Sf. John, and when he comes to pronounce thofe Holy words* E* verbum cam 
faUum eft, & habitavit in nobis^ he turns towards the Spout, ajid with his Knife 
cuts the Air athwart that Spout, as if he would cut it, and they fay that then 
it is really cut, and lets all the water it held fall with a great noifc. This is the 
account that 1 have had from feveral French Men, who, (as they faid,) had tried 
it themfelvcs ■■> whether that hath fucceeded fo or not, I know not -, but for the 
Knife with the black Handle, it is a foul Superftition, which may be accompanied 
with fome implicit compact with the Devil, and I do not think that a Ghriftian 
can with a good Confcience make ufe of it: as to the Vcrtue of thefe Holy words, 
which (as I may fay,) put God in mind of the Covenant that he hath made 
with Man, I make no doubt, but that being faid with Devotion, without any 
mixture of Superftition, they arc of great efficacy to draw a bleffingfrom God 
upon us on all occaGons. 
And fo much for the Spouts by which we were more affraid than hurt ; 
but the Storm did our Ship more prejudice in its Courfe -, for we were obliged 
to lye at Anchor all that day and the night following, until next morning, when 
though it blew very hard from Ndrth-Èajiy we weighed at feven a Clocif, and 
flood away E^ft, South-Eali. About nine a Clock we Sailed along Lareca, which 
was to the Windward or Larboard of us. About three quarters after nine, we 
faw the Sky on Head over caft, and the »Air black, with ftprmy Clouds and 
flurries, but they were to the Leeward of us, and therefore at firft we dreaded 
them not j but having more attentively conlîdered them, we found that they 
came from Snnth to North, and feeing it blew freOier and freftier, perhaps becaufe 
of the refinance it met with from thofe Clouds driven by a contrary Wind, we 
furled our Mizan Sail, and Steered away South-Eafi and by Raft, that we might 
avoid the Storm. About a quarter after ttn we took in all our Sails, except the 
Main Courfe and Spiit-Sail. About half an hour after ten, it cleared up to the 
South, and we made the biggeft of the four Hies of Cape Mofandon, (called Selame) 
which bore South and by fFeft of us i and at the fame time we made the fourth 
of thefe little Ifles, which we had not feen before i to the Southend by LajK This 
little Ifle lyes to the Southrvard of the biggeft, and is not far from it j it feemed to 
me to reach North and South, and is very low Land, except at the end towards 
the big Ifland, where it rifes a little. About three quarters after ten, we fet our 
Mizan and Main-Top-Sail again, and flood our Courfe South-Eaft, the Wind be- 
ing then North-Eafi and by Eaft, and immediately after, we had a ûiower of Rain : 
For two hours after, the Wind did nothing but chop and change, from North-Eafi 
to South-Eaji ; and all that while we kept on our Courfe, as much as the little 
Wind that then blew would allow us. At one of the Clock we were got very 
near Lareca, flanding North and by Eaji, and therefore we tacked about and 
bore away South and by Eaft, the Wind being then Eaft and by North. About 
two a Clock we flood South-Eaft and by South. About feven a Clock it blew 
hard from North-Eafi, and we Steered our Courfe Eaft, South-Eaft. About eight 
a Clock it blew aftiff" Gale from South, South-Eaft, and we Steered Eaft.. Three 
quarters after eight it got into South, and we bore away Eaft, South-Eaft; a quarter 
of an hour after, wc had fome Rain. In this manner every hour, or every half 
hour the Wind ftiifted about i and with every change we had a feud of Wind and 
Rain -, which obliged us to furl all our Sails but the Fore-Sail, but fo foon as the 
flurry was over, the Wind was but very eafie. Thus all night long we had flurries 
and changes of Wind. 
Sunday the thirteenth of Decmber, at fix a Clock in the morning, the Wind 
turned Eaft, South-Eaft, and we flood away South. We had to the Starboard 
the Land of Arabia, and the four Ifles of Selame, of which the biggeft bore Weft 
and by South of us : on our Larboard we had the Land of ?erfia^ part whereof 
called Marfan, bore South-Eaft of us, and we made particularly one Hill of that 
Land, ftiaped like a Sugar-Loaf. About feven a Clock the Wind ftiifted into 
IS ^ Souths 
