And so as to what is said a little lower in the same page, that in
managing their cane they are not confined to the seasons, this ought to
have been expressed only of planting them; for they never cut them but in
the dry season.
But to return to the southerly winds, which came in (as I expected they
would) while I was here: these daunted my ship's company very much,
though I had told them they were to look for them: but they being
ignorant as to what I told them farther, that these were only coasting
winds, sweeping the shore to about 40 or 50 leagues in breadth from it,
and imagining that they had blown so all the sea over, between America
and Africa; and being confirmed in this their opinion by the Portuguese
pilots of European ships, with whom several of my officers conversed
much, and who were themselves as ignorant that these were only coasting
tradewinds (themselves going away before them in their return homewards
till they cross the Line, and so having no experience of the breadth of
them) being thus possessed with a conceit that we could not sail from
hence till September; this made them still the more remiss in their
duties, and very listless to the getting things in a readiness for our
departure.
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