ed island, seen only at certain times. Others allege a better
reason, saying that it is small and almost always concealed by clouds,
and that ships are prevented from coming near it by the strength of the
currents. It is certain however, that there is such an island, and at
the distance from the Canaries already mentioned.[235]

[Footnote 235: This island of St Baranora, or St Brandon, is merely
imaginary.--E.]

Leaving Gomera on the 15th March, Clipperton came in sight of St
Vincent, one of the Cape de Verd islands, in the evening of the 21st,
and came to anchor in the bay next morning. He here found a French ship,
and the Diamond belonging to Bristol, taking in a cargo of asses for
Jamaica. Continuing here for ten days, in hopes of meeting the
Speedwell, but in vain, the crew of the Success became much
disheartened, so that Clipperton had much difficulty in persuading them
to persist in the enterprize. The _Cape de Verd islands,_ called _Salt
islands_ by the Dutch, derive their name from Cape de Verd on the coast
of Africa. The sea which surrounds them is covered by a green herb,
called _Sergalso_ or cresses by the Portuguese, resembling
water-cresses, and so thickly that hardly can the water be seen, neither
can ships make their way through it but with a stiff gale. This herb
produces berries, resembling white gooseberries, but entirely tasteless.
No one knows how this herb grows, as there is no ground or land about
the place where it is found floating on the water, neither can it be
supposed to come from the bottom, as the sea is very deep, and is in
many places quite unfathomable. This sea-weed begins to be seen in the
lat. of 34 deg. N. where it is so thick that it seems as if islands, but is
not to be met with in any other part of the ocean.

The _Cape de Verd islands_, when first discovered by the Portuguese in
1572, were all desert and uninhabited, but they now inhabit several of
them. They are ten in number, St Jago, St Lucia, St Vincent, St Antonio,
St Nicolas, Ilha Blanca, Ilha de Sal, Ilha de Maio, Ilha de Fogo, and
Bonavista. They now afford plenty of rice, flour, Tartarian wheat,
oranges, lemons, citrons, bananas, ananas or pine-apples, ignames,
batatas, melons, cucumbers, pompions, garden and wild figs, and several
other sorts of fruits. They have vineyards also, which produce ripe
grapes twice a year; and have abundance of cattle, both great and small,
but especially goats. The capital city is St Jago