Page:A general history of the pyrates, from their first rise and settlement in the Island of Providence, to the present time (1724).djvu/145

 Otender with ome of their People to Madagacar, with News of their Succes, and to prepare Mats for the Prize; and followed themelves oon after, without regard to the Sufferers, carrying 200 Mozambique Negroes with them in the Portuguee Ship.

Madagacar is an Iland larger than Great-Britain, mot of it within the Tropick of Capricorn, and lays Eat from the Eatern Side of Africa: It abounds with Proviions of all Sorts, Oxen, Goats, Sheep, Poultry, Fih, Citrons, Oranges, Tamarinds, Dates, Coco-Nuts, Bananas, Wax, Honey, Rice; or in hort, Cotton, Indigo, or any other Thing they will take Pains to plant, and have Undertanding to manage: They have likewie Ebony, a hard Wood like Brail, of which they make their Lances; and Gum of everal Sorts, Benzin, Dragon’s Blood, Aloes, &c. What is mot incommodious, are the numerous Swarms of Locuts on the Land, and Crocodiles or Alligators in their Rivers. Hither, in St. Augutin’s Bay, the Ships ometimes touch for Water, when they take the inner Paage for India, and do not deign to top at Johanna; and we may oberve from the ixth general Voyage et forth by the Eat-India Company, in Confirmation of what is hereafter aid in Relation to Currents in general; that this inner Paage or Channel, has its Northern and Southern Currents tronget where the Channel is narrowet, and is les, and varies on different Points of the Compas, as the Sea comes to pread again, in the Paage cros the Line.

Since the Dicovery of this Iland by the Portuguee, A. D. 1506, the Europeans, and particularly Pyrates, have increaed a dark Mulatto Race there, tho’ till few in Comparion with the Natives, who are Negroes, with curled hort Hair, Active, and formerly repreented malicious and revengeful, now tractable and communicable, perhaps Rh