Page:A voyage round the world, in His Britannic Majesty's sloop, Resolution, commanded by Capt. James Cook, during the years 1772, 3, 4, and 5 (IA b30413849 0001).pdf/59

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seventy of the natives. Luis de la Cerda, a Spanish nobleman of the royal family of Castile, in consequence of a bull from the Pope, in the year 1344, assumed the title of Prince of the Fortunate Islands, but never went to take possession of his estates. Lastly, John, Baron de Bethencourt of Normandy, visited these islands again in the year 1402, took possession of several, and called himself King of the Canaries. His nephew ceded his claims upon them to Don Henry, Infante of Portugal; but they were afterwards left to the Spaniards, who now possess them.

The next day at five o'clock in the morning, we passed the isle of Ferro, remarkable only from this circumstance, that several geographers have reckoned their first meridian from its westermost extremity. The same day, being in about 27 deg. N. latitude, we observed several flying fishes, pursued by bonitos and dolphins, rising out of the water in order to escape from them. They were flying in all directions, and not against the wind only, as Mr. Kalm seems to think. Neither did they confine themselves to a strait-lined course, but frequently were seen to describe a curve, When they met the top of a wave as they skimmed along the surface of the ocean, they passed through, and continued their flight beyond it. From this time, till we left the torrid zone, we were almost daily amused with the view of immense shoals of these fishes, and now and then caught one upon our