ard of her
reckoning. As we were sailing along this island, at the rate of no less
than eight miles an hour, with the wind at east, it died away at once;
so that within less than two minutes the ship had no motion, though we
were at least four leagues distant from the shore. Palma lies in lat.
28 deg. 40' N. long. 17 deg. 48' W.

On the 20th we tried the current, and found it set S.W. by W. one mile
an hour. This day we saw two herons flying to the eastward, and a great
number of bonnettos about the ship, of which we caught eight.

In the night between the 21st and 22d we lost our companion the
Swallow, and about eight in the morning we saw the island of Sal,
bearing S. 1/2 W., at noon it bore S. 1/4 W. distant eight leagues; and
at noon on the 23d, the nearest land of the island of Bonavista here
from S. to W.S.W. distant seven or eight miles, the east end, at the
same time, bearing W. distant two leagues. In this situation we sounded,
and had only fifteen fathom, with rocky ground; at the same time we saw
a very great rippling, which we supposed to be caused by a reef,
stretching off the point about E.S.E. three miles, and the breakers
without us, distant also about three miles in the direction of S.E. We
steered between the rippling and the breakers, but after hauling the
ship off about half a mile, we had no soundings. The Prince Frederick
passed very near the breakers, in the S.E., but had no soundings; yet
these breakers are supposed to be dangerous. The middle of the isle of
Sal is in lat. 16 deg. 55' N. long. 21 deg. 59' W.; the middle of Bonavista is
in lat. 16 deg. 10' long. 23 deg. W.

On the next day, at six in the morning, the isle of May bore from W. to
S.W. six leagues; and soon after the Swallow again joined company. At
half an hour after ten the west end of the isle of May bore north at the
distance of five miles, and we found a current here, setting to the
southward at the rate of twenty miles in four-and-twenty hours. The
latitude of this island is 15 deg. 10' N. longitude 22 deg. 25' W.

At noon the south end of the island of St Iago bore S.W. by W. distant
four leagues; and the north end N.W. distant five leagues. At half an
hour after three we anchored in Port Praya, in that island, in company
with the Swallow and Prince Frederick, in eight fathom water, upon sandy
ground. We had much rain and lightning in the night, and early in the
morning I sent to the commanding officer at the fort, for leav