Chap. I. Commodore R 
of Divers be of ahy Weight, there are fuch green Banks 
in various Places ; and, therefore, one would imagine, 
that, where-ever fuch Grafs was found, it would float, as it 
does here. On the other hand, if it came from the Coaft of 
Africa, it would be feen in different Parts of the Sea, and 
efpecially near that Coaft • which, however, is contrary to 
Experience, whereas the Weeds in this Sea have been re- 
marked by almoft all who have publiffied their Voyages 
through them a . Bur that he might not feem to deftroy 
without building up, he delivers it as his Opinion, that this 
Grafs comes from America ; and particularly from the Gulph 
of Bahama , where it is known to grow in abundance; and 
where, when it comes to Maturity, it breaks, and fo is 
carried away by the Current. . 
This Notion of our Author’s is liable to fome Objections ; 
however, it is much more probable than either of the 
other. To fay the Truth, there is nothing more difficult 
to account for, than the Motion and Courfe of Currents; 
which, in fome Places, run fix Months one Way; and fix 
another ; in fome again they run conftantly one Way, and 
never fhift at all •, and there are Iriftahces where they riin 
one Way for a Day or two after Full-moon, arid then they 
run ftrongly the other Way till near the Full-moon again. 
It is commonly obferved by Seamen; that in Places where 
the Trade-winds blow, the Currents are generally influenced 
by them, and move the fame Way with thofe Winds, but 
not with equal Force in all Places, neither are they fo 
difcernible in the wide Ocean, but chiefly about Iflands; 
where the Effects of them are more or lefs felt, according 
as they lie in or out of the Way of the Trade-winds. It 
would be no fmall Advantage to Navigation, if fen Able 
Men would take notice of, and inquire into, the Reafon 
of thefe fort of Appearances ; becaufe it is certain, that, 
befides the Satisfaction neceffarily refulting from -the Dif- 
eovery of Truth, there are unexpected Advantages that 
arife from fuch Inquiries : To be convinced of this, we 
need only look into old Books of Voyages, where we find 
many more Wonders than in thofe of a later Date ; not 
becaufe the Courfe of Nature is at all changed, but becaufe 
Nature was not then fo well underftood. A thoufand 
Things were Prodigies a Century ago, which are not at 
all ft range now ; and the Storms about the Cape of Good 
Hope , which make fo terrible a Figure in the Hiftories of 
the Portuguefe Difcoveries, are known to have been the 
Effe<fts only of endeavouring to double that Cape at a 
wrong Seafon of the Yean 
It is certain, that both in the Eaft Indies , and in the 
Weft, the Natives are able to foretel Hurricanes and Tor- 
nadoes, not by any great Skill they have, but by barely 
obferving, that they are ufually preceded by fuch and fuch 
Signs ; which Signs when they fee, it is natural for them 
to exped a Storm*. There is very often fo little Con- 
nexion between the Sign, and the Thing fignified, that, 
Men who value them lei ves on their own Wifdom, are apt 
to flight fuch Warnings, as impertinent and infignificant. 
But it would be better to inquire diligently into Facts, and 
neither receive nor rejed them haftily. When once it is 
fettled, that Things happen in this manner, or in that, it 
is time enough to inquire why they happen fo : As in the 
prefent Cafe, the Matter of Fad is clearly laid down, that 
in the Latitude of i8° North, the Sea between Africa and 
America is frequently covered with Weeds, there is good 
Reafon therefore to inquire, whence thefe Weeds come. 
I cannot forbear putting the Reader in mind, upon this 
Occafion, of a Circumftance that feems ftrongly to con- 
firm the Conjedure of our Author : The farrious Chrifto- 
pher Columbus , in the firft Voyage he made for the Difco- 
very of the new World, met with this Grafs and Weeds 
floating upon the Sea, without which he could never have 
perfuaded the Seamen to have continued the Voyage ; and 
it is very remarkable, that, by purfuing their Courfe through 
thefe Weeds, they arrived in the very Place he mentions, 
that is to fey, in the Gulph of Bahama. But it is now 
time to profecute the Voyage, and to follow our Author 
home. 
OGGEWEll JIJ 
40. As they failed farther Northward, they were over- 
taken by hard Gales of Wind, which are tifual at that Sea- 
fon of the Year, efpecially in thofe Seas, by which they 
were driven into the Latitude of 37% and within Sight of 
two Iflands, which, proved to be thofe of Flores and Corvo . 
Their frefli Provifions being now pretty well fpent, this 
Accident; though it delayed Time a little, could not be 
confidered as a Misfortune. Their Stay there, however, 
was very ffiort, being only three Days in the larger Ifland, 
which was fufncient for their procuring the Refrefhments 
they wanted, as well as to take a View of the Country. 
Corvo and Flores are two of the Iflands which the Spa- 
niards call Azores, that is, The Iflands of Hawk's, becaufe, 
at the Time they difcovered them, they found a great 
many Hawks in them. The Dutch call them the Vlaamifhe 
Eilanden, i. e. Flemifh Iflands , becaufe the firft Inhabitants 
of the Ifland Fayal , which is one of the nine Iflands, were 
Flemings. The Race of its firft Inhabitants is perpetuated 
to this Day in that Ifland, and you may know them by 
their Air and Shape, which referable thofe of the Flemings . 
They dwell upon a little River, running down a Moun- 
tain, which the Portuguefe called Ribera dos Flamenas , the 
River oi the Flemings. The Names of the Azores Iflands 
are. Ter (era, St. Michael , Santa Maria, St. George’s, 
Gratiofa , Pico, Fayal , Corvo , and Flores. Terser a is the 
chief of them ; it is fifteen or flxteen Leagues in Circum- 
ference, being high, and fo fteep, in many Places, that 
it is alrrioft impregnable ; and, befides that; they hate 
built Forts in the Places where it is acceffible. There is 
no Harbour or Road wherein the Ships can enjoy Shelter, 
but before the capital City, called Angra, which hath a 
Port of the Figure of an Half-moon, and therefore called 
the Half -moons of Angra : Upon the two Ends of the Half- 
moon are two Mountains, cailed Brafisl , which fhoot forth 
into the Sea, and appear afar off, like two fmall Iflands. 
Thefe two Mountains are fo high, that, being at the Top 
of them, you may fee at any time ten or twelve Leagues ; 
and, when the Weather is fine and clear, above fifteen 
Leagues off. 
Angra hath a fine Cathedral Church, and is the Refi- 
dence of a Bifhop, a Governor, and the Council, which 
governs all the Iflands. Three Leagues diftant lies an- 
other Town, called de Pray a, or the Town of the Shore, 
becaufe it is fltuated near a great Shore, which the Ships 
can never approach, fo that the Town is without any man- 
ner of Trade, and very defert, tho’ pretty well built and 
walled about. The Inhabitants live upon the Fruits that 
grow upon the Ifland ; for it is very fruitful and pleafant, 
full of fine Corn-fields. The Wine is but fmall, and will 
not keep long ; therefore the richeft Inhabitants provide 
themfelves with Madeira and Canary Wines. The Ifland 
is fo plentiful in Flefh; Fiffi, and all other Sorts „of 
Victuals, that even in the Time of Scarcity there is enough 
for the Inhabitants. But they want Oil, Salt, Lime; and 
Potters-wares, which are imported from other Places. 
They have abundance of Peaches, Apples, Pears, Oranges, 
and Lemons ; all Sorts of Herbs, Plants, and, amongffe 
others, the Herb called Batatas, which grows like the 
Stock of a Vine, but the Leaves are not like them. Some 
of thofe Roots weigh a Pound, more or lefs : They have 
fo great Quantities of them, that the Rich flight them, 
though they are of a good fweet Tafte; and very nouriffi- 
ing. You find alfo another Root in this Country, as big 
as a Man’s two Fifts, covered with Filaments of Gold- 
colour, and as fmooth as Silk : They make Beds thereof ; • 
but curious and fkilful Workmen would certainly be able 
to make fine Stuffs of it. 
One fees but very few wild Fowl or Birds, except Ca^ 
naries, Quails, tame Hens, and Turky-cocks, which are 
very numerous : You meet with feveral Places very hilly, 
and fo full of yery thick Woods, that you can hardly 
travel through them : But that which makes travelling 
very difficult, is, that you find very often Rocks a League 
or half a League long, which are fo ragged, and fo ffiarp, 
that you can hardly walk upon them without cutting your 
. It be amifs to obierve, in Support of our Author’s Affertion, that, in the old Portuguefe Maps and Voyages, this Part of the, Qcean is 
nearly refemble^^^* S ’ ^ re *H csi I° r Sargajfo fignifies Crejfes, or rather Water-crejfes , which the Weeds, with which it is fpread. 
Numb. 3QQL 
Shoes 
