made sail again, and soon after passed the
Isle of May, distant about four leagues, bearing NW by W of us. Between
nine and ten o'clock we made the south end of the Island of St. Iago and
at the distance of about two leagues. The wind freshening soon after we
saw the island, at noon we were ranging along the south side of it, with
the signal flying for the convoy to prepare to anchor; but at the moment
of our opening Praya-bay, and preparing to haul round the southern
extremity of it, the fleet was suddenly taken aback, and immediately
after baffled by light airs. We could however perceive, as well by the
colours at the fort, as by those of a Portuguese snow riding in the bay,
that the wind blew directly in upon the shore, which would have rendered
our riding there extremely hazardous; and as it was probable that our
coming to an anchor might not have been effected without some accident
happening to the convoy, Captain Phillip determined to wave, for the
superior consideration of the safety of the fleet under his care, the
advantages he might otherwise have derived from the supply of fresh
provisions and vegetables to be procured there: the breeze therefore
coming off the land, and with sufficient effect to carry us clear of the
island and its variable weather, the anchoring signal was taken in, and
we made sail about two o'clock, the fleet standing away due south. Our
sudden departure from the island, we imagined, must have proved some
disappointment to the inhabitants, as we noticed that a gun was fired at
the fort, shortly after our opening the bay; a signal, it was supposed,
to the country people to bring down their articles for trade and barter.

July.] On the 14th of July the fleet crossed the equator in the 26th
degree of east longitude. Such persons as had never before crossed the
Line were compelled to undergo the ridiculous ceremonies which those who
were privileged were allowed to perform on them.

From this time our weather was pleasant, and we had every appearance of
soon reaching our next port, the Rio de Janeiro, on the Brazil coast.

The track which we had to follow was too beaten to afford us any thing
new or interesting. Captain Phillip proposed making the Island of
Trinidada; but the easterly winds and southerly currents which we had met
with to the northward of the Line having set us so far to the westward
when we crossed it, he gave up all expectation of seeing it, and on the
28th altered his cours