My reckoning made me then think myself above 90 leagues
from the Cape, according to the longitude which the Cape hath in the
common sea-charts: so that I was in some doubt whether these were the
right fowls spoken of in the Waggoner; or whether those fowls might not
fly farther off shore than is there mentioned; or whether, as it proved,
I might not be nearer the Cape than I reckoned myself to be; for I found,
soon after, that I was not then above 25 or 30 leagues at most from the
Cape. Whether the fault were in the charts laying down the Cape too much
to the east from Brazil, or were rather in our reckoning, I could not
tell: but our reckonings are liable to such uncertainties from steerage,
log, currents, half-minute-glasses; and sometimes want of care, as in so
long a run cause often a difference of many leagues in the whole account.
Most of my men that kept journals imputed it to the half-minute-glasses:
and indeed we had not a good glass in the ship beside the half-watch or
two-hour-glasses. As for our half-minute-glasses we tried them all at
several times, and we found those that we had used from Brazil as much
too short, as others we had used before were too long; which might well
make great errors in those several reckonings.
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