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2 Commerce. When Men of War have no other Lading than Provisions and Necessaries, the Duty of Sailors is eased, and their Conveniencies better; whereas Cargoes, besides dishonouring the Commission, and unfitting the King's Ships for Action, stifle and sicken a Ship’s Company in warm Climates, impose hard Services, and spoil the Trade of the Merchant they are designed to encourage, and expect a Gratuity from; because Labour and Freight free, they can afford to underselundersell [sic].

In the Evening from six to nine, we saw those Appearances in the Sky called Capræ faltantes, by the Sailors Morrice-Dancers; they are Streams of Light that suddenly shoot into one another, and disappear for a Minute or two, yet shifting their Stations within the Quarter, in so quick and surprizing a manner as might easily deceive superstitious Times into a belief of Armies in the Air; these, the Scintillæ volantes, and such like nitrous Exhalations, having given rise, it's probable, to all those Prodigies the Air has heretofore in impious Times abounded with.

The Western Extremity of England that we are now passing by, has been supposed, from the equal Depth of Water found there, from Doors, Windows, and Roots of Trees, formerly (it's said) hooked up by Fishermen, to have been in Ages past continuous with the rocky little Islands of Scilly, by a Land called Lioness. When I consider the Changes Earthquakes and Inundations have made, and