The 26th, nigh the Island of Heneago, recovered the true Trade-Wind, E. half N. The 28th, saw the Rocks called Hogstys by our Observations in 21°° 38 something farther to the Northward than they are set down in the Charts. At Noon, came round Aclin’s Kays (pretty high out of the Water) and before Night, made Crooked or Well-Island. The last, and from which we took our Departure, was Watlin’s Kay, 24°° N. where we may farther remark, that the Trade-Wind continued with us to the Latitude of 32°° but faint and weak, from 27°°; caused, I presume, from the Contest between the Variable and that, as I have already guessed the N E. and S E. Trade does in other Places.
From 26 to 37°° Degrees of Latitude, (as far N. as Virginia) we found every Day large Quantities of what they call Gulph-weed, floating about the Ship, and lessening in proportion to the Distance; it is so called, from a Conviction of its being thrown from the Shoals of Florida; and by being found three or four hundred Leagues N E. a-trend with the Continent, argues I think, a Continuance (tho’ insensible) of some Current, or that it is longer, or more to the Northward than Southward in those Latitudes; and contrarily, in higher North Latitudes the Seas nigh the Continent have a Tendency Southward, demonstrated in those Islands of Ice, that drive all Summer from the North West, along the Coast of Newfoundland, even as far as New-England.
To the Northward of Bermudas, the Winds grew variable, and as we advanced, stronger; A never-failing Gale (N W. to S W.) blowing from the American Coast at this Length and onward, to 60°° of Latitude, and tho’ not invariable like the Trade, yet a Constancy of ¾ or 4/5 of the year, shews it on the same Principle with them; Ours was a very hard Gale at N W. which put us to a reefed Fore-sail for a Fortnight, so great a Sea following, that we could not help dipping it up by Tuns sometimes at our Stern. We arrived in England, April, 1723.
FINIS.
AN
ABSTRACT
Of the foregoing
VOYAGE.
A. Anchored, or arrived at.
W. Weighed, or went from.
1720/1