es of flesh on their shoulders, like camels, only more
forward. Some affirmed that the people were circumcised. We here found
_the beautiful beast._[162]

[Footnote 161: As the bay of St Augustine, in lat. 23 deg. 30' S. is on the
west coast of Madagascar, where the coast is direct N. and S. the
current of the tide could not set from the east. The expression in the
text, therefore, probably means that it is high-water when the moon is
nearly east.--E.]

[Footnote 162: This seems to refer to some creature then in the ship,
and perhaps brought home with them to England. Astl. I. 316. a.--Mr
Finch says, there were in the woods, near the river, great store of
beasts, as big as monkies, of an ash colour, having a small head, a long
tail like a fox, barred with black and white, and having very fine
fur.--E.]

Where we rode at anchor the water by the ship's side was very fresh at
high water, and very salt at low water, contrary to what might have been
expected; and at high water it was very fresh on one side of the ship,
and very salt on the other. In a gust of wind at N.W. on the 25th, our
ship drifted and broke a cable, by which we lost the anchor. We bought
this day a calf, a sheep, and a lamb, the sheep having a great tail; all
three costing us _2s. 3d._ I found certain spiders, whose webs were as
strong as silk. All along the low land from E. to W about half a mile
from the shore, there runs a ledge of rocks on which the sea continually
breaks, between which and the shore are two fathoms water, wonderfully
full of fish, and having a fine beach on which to haul the nets.

The 28th in the morning we got under sail to put to sea. This bay of St
Augustine is a very unfit place for ships to touch at for refreshments,
as these are to be had only in small quantities; and the bay is very
untoward for riding at anchor, the water being deep and pitty and the
ground foul, as appeared by cutting our cable. By the 15th March we had
only got into lat. 15 deg. 40' S. and I knew not what course to take to get
out of the current, which was very swift setting to the south, as
keeping mid-channel may endanger us upon _In. de Nova_;[163] and in
keeping near shore God knows what danger may befal, as it is indiscreet
to continue where the wind does not stem the current. The 17th we were
in, lat. 14 deg. 57' S. so that we have got 25 leagues farther north, and
the main power of the current seems now lessened. My master is of
opinion that th