When they come about a ship
they commonly perch in the night, and will sit still till they are taken
by the seamen. They build on cliffs against the sea, or rocks, as I have
said.
OF THE INHABITANTS THERE, AND GREAT TIDES, THE VEGETABLES AND ANIMALS, ETC.
The 30th day being in latitude 18 degrees 21 minutes we made the land
again, and saw many great smokes near the shore; and having fair weather
and moderate breezes I steered in towards it. At 4 in the afternoon I
anchored in 8 fathom water, clear sand, about 3 leagues and a half from
the shore. I presently sent my boat to sound nearer in, and they found 10
fathom about a mile farther in; and from thence still farther in the
water decreased gradually to 9, 8, 7, and 2 mile distance to 6 fathom.
This evening we saw an eclipse of the moon, but it was abating before the
moon appeared to us; for the horizon was very hazy, so that we could not
see the moon till she had been half an hour above the horizon: and at 2
hours, 22 minutes after sunset, by the reckoning of our glasses, the
eclipse was quite gone, which was not of many digits. The moon's centre
was then 33 degrees 40 minutes high.
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