prevail at all feafons' of the year; but obferving that it attended us
to the latitude o f feven degrees North, we were at length induced to
believe that the ftormy feafon, or, as the Spaniards call it, the
Vandevals, was not yet over; though many writers, particularly
Captain Shehocke, pofitively affert, that this feafon begins in June,
and is ended in November; and our prifoners all affirmed the fame
thing. But perhaps its end may not be always conftant, and it
might laft this year longer than ufual.
On the 27th, Captain Mitebel having finiffied the clearing of his
largeft prize, ffie was Icuttled, and fet on fire; but we Hill confift-
ed of five ffiips, and were fortunate enough to find them all good
failers; fo that we never occafioned any delay to each other. Being
now in a rainy climate, which we had been long difufed to,
we found it necelfary to caulk the decks and fides of the Centurion,
to prevent the rain-water from running into her.
On the 3d of December we had a view of the Ifland of Quibo;
the Eaft end' of which then bore from us N. N. W , four leagues
.diftant, and the Ifland of Suicara W .N . W, at about the fame
diftance. Here we ftruck ground with fixty-five fathom of fline,
the bottom confifting of grey fand, with black fpecks. There is
hereafter inferted (being contained in the fame plate with the view
o f the hill o f Petaplan) a view of thefe two Iflands, where ( a) re-
prefents the S. E. end of $uibo, bearing N , by W. four leagues diftant
: And (b) the Ifland of Quicara, which bears from the point
fa j W. S. W. i S, and is diftant from it four leagues, the point
fa ) being itfelf in the latitude of 70 0 : 20' North. When we had
thus got fight of the land, -we found the wind to hang wefterly;
and therefore, night coming on, we thought it advifeable to ftand
o ff till morning, as there are faid to be fome ffioals in the entrance
of the channel. At fix the next morning point Mariato bore N.
E. i N, three or four leagues diftant. In weathering this point all
the fquadron, except the Centurion, were very near i t ; apd the
Cloucejier being the leewardmoft lhip, was forced to tack and
Hand to the fouthward, fo that we loft fight of her. At nine, the
Ifland
R O U N D T H E W O R L D . 215
Ifland Pobaco bore N. W. by N, four leagues diftant; but the wind
ftill proving unfavourable, we were obliged to ply on and off for
the fucceeding twenty-four hours, and were freqently taken aback.
However, at eleven the next morning the wind happily fettled in
the S. S. W. and we bore away for the S. S. E. end of the Ifland,
and about three in the afternoon entered the Canal Bueno, palling
round a ffioal which ftretches off about two miles from the South
point of the Ifland. This Canal Bueno, or Good Channel, is at leaft
fix miles in breadth; and as we had the wind large, we kept in a
good depth of water, generally from twenty-eight to thirty-three
fathom, and came not within a mile and a half diftance o f the
breakers; though, in all probability, i f it had been necelfary, we
might have ventured much nearer, without incurring, the lealfe
danger. At feven in the evening we anchored 'in thirty-three
fathom muddy ground ; the South point o f the Ifland bearing.
S. E. by S, a remarkable high part of the Ifland W. by N, and
the Ifland Sebaco E. by N. Being thus arrived at this Ifland of
§uibo, the account of the place, and. of our tranfadlions there, Ihall-
be referred to the enfuing chapter..
C H A P.