ees 50 minutes we met with many ripplings in the sea
like a tide or strong current, which setting against the wind caused such
a rippling. We continued to meet these currents from that latitude till
we came into the latitude of 3 degrees 22 north when they ceased. During
this time we saw some bonetas and sharks; catching one of these. We had
the true general tradewind blowing fresh at north-east till in the
latitude of 4 degrees 40 minutes north when the wind varied, and we had
small gales with some tornados. We were then to the east of St. Jago 4
degrees 54 minutes when we got into latitude 3 degrees 2 minutes north
(where I said the rippling ceased) and longitude to the east of St. Jago
5 degrees 2 minutes we had the wind whiffling between the south by east
and east by north small gales, frequent calms, very black clouds with
much rain. In the latitude of 3 degrees 8 minutes north and longitude
east from St. Jago 5 degrees 8 minutes we had the wind from the
south-south-east to the north-north-east faint, and often interrupted
with calms. While we had calms we had the opportunity of trying the
current we had met with hitherto and found that it set north-east by east
half a knot, which is 12 mile in 24 hours: so that here it ran at the
rate of half a mile an hour, and had been much stronger before. The rains
held us by intervals till the latitude of 1 degree 0 minutes north with
small gales of wind between south-south-east and south-east by east and
sometimes calm: afterwards we had the wind between the south and
south-south-east till we crossed the Line, small winds, calms, and pretty
fair weather. We saw but few fish beside porpoises; but of them a great
many and struck one of them.

It was the 10th of March, about the time of the equinox, when we crossed
the equator, having had all along from the latitude of 4 degrees 40
minutes north, where the true tradewind left us, a great swell out of the
south-east and but small uncertain gales, mostly southerly, so that we
crept to the southward but slowly. I kept up against these as well as I
could to the southward, and when we had now and then a flurry of wind at
east I still went away due south, purposely to get to the southward as
fast as I could; for while near the Line I expected to have but uncertain
winds, frequent calms, rains, tornados, etc. which would not only retard
my course but endanger sickness also among my men: especially those who
were ill provided with cloth