Page:A voyage to New Holland - Dampier.djvu/49

Rh Having refresh'd my Men ashore, and taken in what we had occasion for, I Sail'd away from Santa Cruz on Feb. 4. in the Afternoon; hastening out all I could, because the N. E. Winds growing stormy made so great Sea, that the Ship was scarce safe in the Road; and I was glad to get out, tho' we left behind several Goods we had bought and paid for: For a Boat could not go ashore; and the stress was so great in weighing Anchor, that the Cable broke. I design'd next for the I. of Mayo, one of the C. Verd Islands; and ran away with a strong N. E. Wind, right afore it, all that Night and the next Day, at the rate of 10 or 11 Miles an hour; when it slacken'd to a more moderate Gale. The Canary Islands are, for their Latitude, within the usual Verge of the True or General Trade-Wind; which I have observ'd to be, on this side the Equator, N. Easterly: But then lying not far from the African Shore, they are most subject to a N. Wind, which is the Coasting and constant Trade, sweeping that Coast down as low as to C. Verd; which spreading in breadth, takes in mostly the Canary Islands; tho' it be there interrupted frequently with the True Trade-Wind, N. West-Winds, or other Shifts of Wind that Islands are Subject to; especially where they lie many together. The Pike of Teneriffe, which had generally been Clouded while we lay at Santa Cruz, appear'd now all white with Snow, hovering over the other Hills;