Fogo.

St. Jago Road is one of the worst that I have been in.  There is not clean ground enough for above three ships; and those also must lie very near each other.  One even of these must lie close to the shore, with a land-fast there:  and that is the best for a small ship.  I should not have come in here if I had not been told that it was a good secure place; but I found it so much otherways that I was in pain to be gone.  Captain Barefoot, who came to an anchor while I was here, in foul ground, lost quickly 2 anchors; and I had lost a small one.  The island Fogo shows itself from this road very plain, at about 7 or 8 leagues distance; and in the night we saw the flames of fire issuing from its top.

CHAPTER 2.

South of the line to Brazil.

The author’s deliberation on the sequel of his voyage and departure from st. Jago.

Having despatched my small affairs at the Cape Verde Islands I meditated on the process of my voyage.  I thought it requisite to touch once more at a cultivated place in these seas, where my men might be refreshed, and might have a market wherein to furnish themselves with necessaries:  for, designing that my next stretch should be quite to New Holland, and knowing that after so long a run nothing was to be expected there but fresh water, if I could meet even with that there, I resolved upon putting in first at some port of Brazil, and to provide myself there with whatever I might have further occasion for.  Beside the refreshing and furnishing my men I aimed also at the inuring them gradually and by intervals to the fatigues that were to be expected in the remainder of the voyage, which was to be in a part of the world they were altogether strangers to:  none of them, except two young men, having ever crossed the Line.

His course, and the winds, etc.  In crossing the line.

With this design I sailed from St. Jago on the 22nd of February with the winds at east-north-east and north-east fair weather and a brisk gale.  We steered away south-south-east and south-south-east half east till in the latitude of 7 degrees 50 minutes we met with many ripplings in the sea like a tide or strong current, which setting against the wind caused such a rippling.  We continued to meet these currents from that latitude till we came into the latitude of 3 degrees 22 north when they ceased.  During this time we saw some bonetas and sharks; catching one of these.  We had the true general tradewind blowing fresh at north-east till in the latitude of 4 degrees 40 minutes north when the wind varied, and we had small gales with some tornados.  We were then to the east of St. Jago 4 degrees 54 minutes when we got into latitude 3 degrees 2 minutes north