1669] of the Island Dauphine, &c. 17 
very powerful & absolute in their Kingdoms ; they are 
generally at war. 
There are many Islands round about, nam’d the Islands 
of Cape Verd, which are inhabit’d by the Portuguese. 
I write what I have seen & known of this country. 
Those who have made a longer sojourn there can better 
speak & write of it. 
Monday, 13th May, we weigh’d anchor from Rufisque 
& put to Sea with a fair breeze, which quickly took us 
out of sight of Land. 
The Sunday following, 19 th of the said month, we ex- Squalls and 
perienc’d what were only squalls , which occur about the Tem * ests ' 
Line, from which we were distant about 7 degrees ; these 
kind of squalls are often composed of thunders, winds & 
furious rains. ’Tis in these moments that ’tis necessary to 
lower the sails, for fear of losing the masts & suffering the 
rude assaults which the Sea agitated by the winds gives 
to a Vessel. These sort of storms or tempests are generally 
follow’d by calm. This is what happen’d to us 24 hours 
later. 
Monday, 27th of the said month of May, they made a 
Procession in the ship, because of the Rogations. 
The Thursday following, 30th of the current month, Passage of 
Ascension day, they celebrated Divine Service as usual; 
& about noon we pass’d the Equinoctial Line or the 
Equator . 
’Twas a great joy to us to pass it so happily, since one 
often spends one or two months without being able to 
pass it, because of great calms which ordinarily occur 
under the Line. Those who are taken by these calms in 
this neighbourhood suffer greatly, as much from the great 
heats as from the thunderstorms which are very frequent 
there. This corrupts all things, & causes great sick¬ 
nesses, from which one barely escapes when attack’d, & 
these are generally high fevers. 
B 
