( 7 o 7 ) 
Jamaica. Her main Maft ( which is no fmall one in fuch a fibip) 
was wreath'd as you would wreath a With, in an inftant, and to 
born by the boord., before ever they could hand a fail, 
27. I know not, what news it may be to you ; but to me if; 
was no unpleafant divertifment to fee a Boat ride at anchor in the * 
main Tea 5 which our Mariners effeded thus, As we failed for- 
BngUndy2LX\d were to double the Cape at the end of Cuba in order 
toourpaffing the Gulf; betwixc the two Capes of Cartoocke •* 
towards the Mainland Cape Antonio\x\ Cuba, there is a Current, 
which fometimes fets Wefterly, fome times Eafterly. If it fet 
Eafterly, the fhips haveafpeedy pafTage in three or four days to 
the Havana - r otherwife 'tis a fortnight or three weeks fail 5 the (hip 
being imbayed in the Gulf of Mexico. To know which way the 
Current fets, in calm weather, no wind at all ftirring, thus they 
try it. They hoyfe out their boat, and having row'd a little from 
the ihip, they let loofe their plummet (ours did weigh 40 pounds) 
and fink it 200 fathom. Then though it never touches the* ■ 
bottom, yet will the boat turn head againft the Current ( which 
conffently runs very ftrongly of it felf 5 fince fo much of Sea runs 
into the Gulf of Mexico) and rides as firmly, as if it were faftn.d : 
by the ftrongeft Cable and Anchor to the bottom. If you won- 
der to hear me mention a Calm thereabouts^ where you would 
exfpedi a conftant Levantin-mnd 5 I (hall inform you, that 'tis no 
unufual thing to meet with Calms, if you approach within any / 
diftance of Land,(and betwixt thefe two Capes it is no very broad 
Sea^as the Map will fhewyou^) for though you fee not anyland, 
yet fomeguft, or land-wind will fo poyfe the L evantin- wind , t h a c 
you fhall have a perfe&Calm; fo as we went away out of our 
courfe to Jamaica, to avoid the Spanifb Fleec 3 which faild before 
us 5 though we came not near the main^as wethought 3 yet it gave- 
us a Calm of two days, whilft they faild on 0 . 
28. The Change of Climat and the effeds of it-are very- 
fenfible to our Bodies, as we approach the Tropick* There 
ufually happened (as you may obferve in Purchases Voyages) 
ficknefles in our fhips about that time 5 and asfoonas the fea- 
men pafs the Tropick, they ftill ufe expressions of Joy by fir ing of 
Guns in teftimony of gladnefs for their fafe arrival fo far* I could» 
not learn of the Old fea-men any other reafon for the different • 
coodif * 
