Page:Narrative of an Official Visit to Guatemala.djvu/451

CH. XXXII.] mouth of the harbour, a fine breeze sprung up, which promised to take us well on our voyage, and carried us on during the night within twenty leagues of the great in-draught or creek on the southern extremity of the coast of Florida.

Here we were again becalmed, and it is the most dangerous place at which vessels can possibly be so, in the whole gulf; for the tide sets you in at five knots an hour right amongst rocks and shoals, on which you are sure either to be wrecked or to be plundered by the pirates, who infest it. With great difficulty we avoided being sucked into this trap; and by day-light the next morning discovered from our mast head half a dozen small vessels putting off to us with all press of sail: had not a good breeze fortunately sprung up which gave our vessel seven knots, although being laden heavily with mahogany, she was a dull sailer, they would have been up with us. As we expected they would be so in the course of the day, we began to muster