Becalmed for the most part these two or three days.
5. In the Morning we weathered the Point of Cadiz, and came to an Anchor in the Bay of Bulls, about half a League from the great Porgoe; and in the Afternoon went on shore. We were entertained by the English Consul, and carried by him to view the Fortifications, which are esteemed to be as regular as any in Christendom; built in the same place where the Town had been attacked formerly by the English, under the Conduct of the Earl of Essex in the Reign of Q. Elizabeth. Plays are usually here, as in other parts of Spain, acted on a Sunday. During the time of our stay, was represented the History of the Patience of Job, the Devil brought upon the Stage, tempting Job's Wife in a drolling way, which caused great Laughter and Merriment among the Spectators. At Malaga, as the Merchants told us, the Sunday before we arrived there, was acted the Schism of England in the time of King Henry the Eighth, whom the Spaniards will not yet forgive, for Divorcing himself from Q. Catherine, their Country-Woman.
9. We sailed from Cadiz.
10. This Afternoon we were forced to Anchor, not far from Cape Spartel or Sprat, as the Seamen call it, not being able to weather the Point.
11. This day we came to an Anchor in Tangier-Bay, with Sir Thomas Allen's Squadron.
Tangier lies within the Entrance into the Strait of the Mediterranean, in the Latitude of about 35°, 36´. It is situated in the bottom of a Bay, and is built on the side of the Hill, overlooking the Sea, encompassed with high Walls to the Land-ward, and commanded by a strong Castle. The Heats would be very troublesome but for the Sea-breezes which cool and fan the Air. In the Castle I met with a Roman Monument, erected to the Honour of P. Belius, a great Officer and Souldier in Trajan's time; who, among his other Titles, is there stiled, PPO. FIG. MAURITANIAE. TINGITANAE: which since has been taken away, and presented to the University of Oxon by Sir Hugh Cholmondley, and now serves to adorn the Area about the Theatre.
The English have two Churches here, (though they only make use of one, the other being reserved against all Accidents) both of them very neat and convenient; though not to be compared with the Church of the Portuguese, retained still, according to the Articles of Agreement, when the King of Portugal made over the Right and Title, and gave the Possession of Tangier to the Crown of England, by the Canons Regulars, belonging to it, which is very stately, and adorn'd with rich Images, and supported by Marble Pillars. Toward one end of the English Church, just by the Vestiary, which had been formerly a Turkish Mosch, and afterward the Chappel of a Convent of Dominicans, is a Monumental Stone-Table in Arabick Characters, containing an account of the Houses, Lands, and other Revenues belonging to it, set up in the 743 year of the Hegira, that is, of Christ 1341. The Mole is in good forwardness, they having gained above 200 yards in the Sea, in order to the making of a good and safe Harbour for Ships to ride in, which lye open to Wind and Waves; the outward side to the Seaward somewhat sloping. The Garrison is in so good a posture of Defence, that they defy Taffiletta and all his Forces. Here we met with great Civilities from Colonel Norwood, Deputy-Governour, and the Gentlemen belonging to the Garrison. Sir Harry Mildmay and Mr. Goodland, two of King Charles the First his Judges, are here; but who have the Liberty of the Town. Now, at our being here, come in several Moors from Arzilla, and among the rest, the Father of one of Gayland's Wives, to get a Passage for Algiers.
Old Tangier lyes at some little distance, where they find very frequently in digging several pieces of Roman Coin. But for the above-mentioned, and the other Curiosities and Antiquities of Tangier, of which I forbear to make mention, from the imperfect and hasty Observations of two days, the greatest part of which being taken up by the Entertainment of our obliging Country-men, you may consult with great pleasure and satisfaction, a little Book called The present State of Tangier, written by a very ingenious Gentleman, and printed in the Year 1676.
There is a vast draught of water poured continually out of the Atlantick into the Mediterranean, the mouth or entrance of which between Cape Spartel or Sprat, as the sea-men call it, and Cape Trafalgar, may be near 7 leagues wide, the current setting strong into it, and not losing its force till it runs as far as Malaga, which is about 20 leagues within the Streights. By the benefit of this Current, tho' the wind be contrary, if it does not over-blow, Ships easily turn into the gut, as they term the narrow passage, which is about 20 miles in length. At the end of which are two Towns, Gibraltar on the coast of Spain, which gives denomination to the Streight, and Ceuta on the Barbary coast: at which places Hercules is supposed to have set up his Pillars. What becomes of this great quantity of water poured in this way, and of that, which runs from the Euxine into the Bosporous and Propontis, and is carried at last through the Hellespont into the Ægæan or Archipelago, is a curious speculation, and has exercised the wit and understanding of Philosophers and Navigators. For there is no sensible rising of the water all along the Barbary Coast, even down to Alexandria, the land beyond Tripoli, and that of Ægypt, lying very low, and easily overflowable. They observe indeed, that the water rises 3 feet, or 3 feet and an half, in the gulph of Venice, and as much, or very near as much, all along the Riviera of Genoa, as far as the river Arno: but this rather adds to the wonder.
I here omit to speak at large of the several Hypotheses which have been invented to solve this difficulty: such as subterraneous vents, cavities and indraughts, exhalations by the Sun-beams, the running out of the water on the African side, as if there were a kind of circular motion of the water, and that it only flowed in upon the Christian shore: which latter I look upon as a meer fancy, and contrary to all observation.