12 TRAVELS TO THE EAST. 
fence ; but our i'ufpicions ended, when the lieute- 
nant, with a fubaltern and eight men, came on board 
to enquire whence we came, and whither we were 
bound. 
Here we obferved large droves of Porpufles 
coming from the W. towards the S. E. which were 
the fir ft we had feen fince we left the North fea. 
The failors fay they foretell bad weather, when they 
appear on the furface of the water, efpecially in 
thofe places to which they direft their courfe. But 
they were miftaken this time ; for the fine weather, 
which we had through the Spanilh feas, continued 
With violent heat for fome days. 
The i ith, we were the whole day in fight of the 
African coaft, and towards evening had the Spaniih 
coaft on our right as before. We were now very neat- 
going into the Mediterranean fea ; but were obliged 
to be content, and cruize for two days between the 
Spanilh and African coaft, on account of a brilk 
Eafterly wind. 
The 14th, in the afternoon, we went through 
the ftrait that divides Africa from Europe. High 
limeftone mountains were to be feen on both fides 
of the channel, out of which there came the fmoalc 
of many fires, which are lime-kilns, that they have 
in the clefts of the rocks of both coafts. B elides 
thefe lime-ftone mountains, we could fee others of 
loofe land, which were not fo fteep, but more gra- 
dually declining to the fea. They were quite green, 
covered with fome Ihrubs, and had fome vineyards. 
The profpect of thefe mountains was far from being 
agreeable. The ornament of the Northern moun- 
tains, Ever-green Pines and Junipers, are not to be 
feen here. 
We faw the town and fortrefs of Gibraltar the 
1 5 til j they arelituated on a high rock, that termi- 
• ' nates 
