My conjecture is, that there is an under-Current, whereby as great a quantity of water is carried out, as comes flowing in. To confirm which, besides what I have said above about the difference of tides in the offing, and at the Shore in the Downs, which necessarily supposes an under-Current, I shall present you with an instance of the like nature in the Baltick Sound, as I received it from an able Seaman, who was at the making of the tryal.
He told me, that being there in one of the King's Frigats, they went with their Pinnace into the middle stream, and were carried violently by the Current: that soon after they sank a bucket with a large Cannon bullet to a certain depth of water, which gave check to the boats motion, and sinking it still lower and lower, the boat was driven a-head to wind-ward against the upper Current: the current aloft, as he added, not being above 4 or 5 fathom deep, and that the lower the bucket was let fall, they found the under-Current the stronger. I designed to have made the Experiment in the Streights-Channel; but both times I past, the Easterly wind blew so hard, that there was no putting out the boat with any safety; nor indeed at those times had we any leisure for such a Curiosity; which those, who liv'd at Tangier, might have tryed without any difficulty or danger.
This conjecture, how likely or unlikely soever, will stand or fall according to the certainty of the Observations, which shall be made there, which I will endeavour to procure in order to the further establishment, or utter overthrow of it.
13. We weighed out of Tangier and turned into the Strait, though against the Wind. The distance between Gibraltar Cape, which gives name to the Straits, and is joyned to the Continent of Spain and Ceuta a well-built and strongly fortified Town, lying under the Hill Alybe, called so by the Greeks, which the Seamen commonly call, as do some Spanish Writers, Apes-hill, from the great number of Apes which used formerly to haunt there, (at which places Hercules is feigned to have set up his Pillars) may be about six Leagues; tho' both Lands lying very high (for we saw the Clouds much below them) it does not appear in the middle of the Current, out of a tall Ship, scarce half so broad.
14. Little Wind stirring.
15. A great Mist all the Sea over, so that we could scarce see three lengths of the Ship, which began to vanish in the Afternoon; and than we descryed the Cape of Malaga at about four Leagues distance; and came to an Anchor that Night. The City lies under a high Hill, and is the Seat of a Bishop, who is at this time a Natural Son of King Philip the Fourth, of the Order of St. Dominic. Here the Merchants told us, that it had not rained for seven Months together, except a day or two for an Hour: and that the Algerines, who were then breaking with us, had not been able to have set a Fleet to Sea about two years before, if they had not been furnished with Masts from England; and that they were now in Expectation of another Ship laden with the same, notwithstanding the Rupture, which was as good as began. I only make a Query, Whether Jews or English Men were the Freighters?
16. The next Morning the Governour immediately returned our Salute Gun for Gun: soon after we weighed from Malaga Road, the Weather very hot. Some Rain fell at Night, though very moderately. In the Evening, after we had sailed about eighteen Leagues, we were becalm'd. The Sea being quiet, we saw a great number of Tortoises swimming above Water, several Bottle-noses, fish of about three yards long, and very thick, and Hawks flying over to the Barbary Coast. The Hills of Granada were seen plainly by us, though at a great distance.
The Wind coming Easterly, we kept at Sea, beating and plying to and again for these four days, scarce gaining sixteen Leagues of our way, and were forc'd to come to an Anchor in the Bay of Adera, where there is a strong Cittadel, about thirty four or thirty five Leagues from Malaga.
21. We passed by Cape de Gata: but the Levant wind still blowing, having continued almost in that Point for above two Months, as we computed from what they had told us at Tangier, we could make but little progress in our Voyage.
25. Between three and four of the Clock in the Morning the Tornado's began to blow, and the Wind violent for the time, with such continued Flashes of Lightning for several hours, as that the whole Sky seemed to be on fire, intermixed with terrible Claps of Thunder, after which followed great showers of Rain.