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quantity of madrepores. In the more low places, to- 
wards Port Louis, Pointed’ Antique, it run more than 
a thoufand paces within land. Here I mull flop, not 
daring to declare the end of this tide, for fear of be- 
ing difbelieved 3 becaufe I do not myfelf compre- 
hend how what I faw could happen, nor imagine 
the caufe. What I am to tell you fhocks good fenfe 
and reafon, although it is the real truth. 
It muft be obferved, that there is a grand bay or 
gulph in this place formed by the point called Dan- 
tique Ifle Grandterre, and the point of the old fort 
Ifle Guadaloupe,. and by the little ifland called Ca- 
houane 3 thefe two points are feven or eight leagues 
distance from each other 3 the bay being much of 
the fame length, extends inwards as many leaguesto 
the fait river, or natural canal of fea-water, which 
feparates the two iflands. There are feveral fmali 
iflands in the middle of this gulph 3 and the coafts 
all round are very low. Between Lance Bertrand 
and Port Louis, there is a marfh made by the rain wa- 
ters, which are confined there by a bank of Hones 
and f;nd, which feparates the lake from the fea3 and 
the waters of the marfli naturally run towards Port 
Louis, and partly towards the Pointe d’ Antique : fo 
that if Port Louis is not lower, it is at leaf: upon the 
level. 
The waters of the counter tide forced this bar or 
fand-bank into the marfh, and ru fired up to the main 
land, near two thoufand paces from the fea-fhore:. 
they muft have rifen at leaf! ten or twelve feet above 
the furface of the fea. The natural courfe of thefe 
waters was therefore to defcend towards Port Louis 3. 
but this was not the cafe c thefe fame waters, which. 
were: 
