[ 62 5 ] 
by them ; nor do thole, which are out at Tea, appear 
to be afteiSted by them. It is however, certain, that 
a regular wind conftantly blows, in thefe parts of the 
of the torrid zone, from the tropic of cancer, to 
the equinoctial line, from the eaft ; inclining fome- 
times northward and lometimes fouthward. This 
wind is called * Alize, for reafons admitted by 
philofophers, and drives the waters weftward, giving 
a total and uniform courfe to that immenfe quantity, 
which comes from the great river of the Amazons, 
and from an infinite number of other rivers, which 
difcharge themfelves into the ocean. Thefe currents 
palling to the wefiward, go up to the American 
iflands, then to the coafls of Jucatan and Mexico, 
and running round in the gulph, return into the great 
ocean, by the ffcraits of Bahama, along the coafls of 
Florida, in order to purfue, in the north, the courfe 
ordained them by the Supreme Being. It is in this 
courfe the waters are known to run with an extra- 
ordinary rapidity ; they pafs between the great and 
little iflands of America, in the great deeps, by an 
almoft even and imperceptible motion ; but againft 
the fhores and coafls of thefe iflands, which form 
this archipelago, thefe currents are very fenfible and 
dangerous ; they interrupt the navigation, infomuch 
that it is fcarce poflible to flem thele tides to get to 
the eaflward. I remember that in 1711, being in 
the bay of la Guade, a point to the well: of Por- 
torico, it was impoliible for us to get up to the town 
of St. John de Portorico, whither we were condudl- 
* Trade Winds. 
