which they allege is all over green and very pleasant, full of trees, and abounding in provisions, as also that it is inhabited by Christians; but no person can tell what sect or denomination they are of, nor what language they speak.  The Spanish inhabitants of the Canaries have often attempted to go there, but could never find the way; whence some believe that it is only an illusion or enchanted island, seen only at certain times.  Others allege a better reason, saying that it is small and almost always concealed by clouds, and that ships are prevented from coming near it by the strength of the currents.  It is certain however, that there is such an island, and at the distance from the Canaries already mentioned.[235]

[Footnote 235:  This island of St Baranora, or St Brandon, is merely imaginary.—­E.]

Leaving Gomera on the 15th March, Clipperton came in sight of St Vincent, one of the Cape de Verd islands, in the evening of the 21st, and came to anchor in the bay next morning.  He here found a French ship, and the Diamond belonging to Bristol, taking in a cargo of asses for Jamaica.  Continuing here for ten days, in hopes of meeting the Speedwell, but in vain, the crew of the Success became much disheartened, so that Clipperton had much difficulty in persuading them to persist in the enterprize.  The Cape de Verd islands, called Salt islands by the Dutch, derive their name from Cape de Verd on the coast of Africa.  The sea which surrounds them is covered by a green herb, called Sergalso or cresses by the Portuguese, resembling water-cresses, and so thickly that hardly can the water be seen, neither can ships make their way through it but with a stiff gale.  This herb produces berries, resembling white gooseberries, but entirely tasteless.  No one knows how this herb grows, as there is no ground or land about the place where it is found floating on the water, neither can it be supposed to come from the bottom, as the sea is very deep, and is in many places quite unfathomable.  This sea-weed begins to be seen in the lat. of 34 deg.  N. where it is so thick that it seems as if islands, but is not to be met with in any other part of the ocean.

The Cape de Verd islands, when first discovered by the Portuguese in 1572, were all desert and uninhabited, but they now inhabit several of them.  They are ten in number, St Jago, St Lucia, St Vincent, St Antonio, St Nicolas, Ilha Blanca, Ilha de Sal, Ilha de Maio, Ilha de Fogo, and Bonavista.  They now afford plenty of rice, flour, Tartarian wheat, oranges, lemons, citrons, bananas, ananas or pine-apples, ignames, batatas, melons, cucumbers, pompions, garden and wild figs, and several other sorts of fruits.  They have vineyards also, which produce ripe grapes twice a year; and have abundance of cattle, both great and small, but especially goats.  The capital city is St Jago, in the island of that name, in which resides the governor who commands over all these islands under