The ſail, already mentioned, kept ſtanding towards us, and, as night advanced, ſhowed a light; at eight, being within a couple of miles of us, the whaling-maſter ſet out to board her, but, diſcovering on a near approach, that ſhe was a Spaniſh veſſel, he thought it right to return; I hauled on a wind for the night, as did the Spaniard, with a view of continuing together till morning; but the thick weather, which was not diſperſed on the return of day, prevented us from ſeeing each other again; nor did we perceive the land till ten A. M. when we found ourſelves ſet, during the night, within a few leagues of the Iſles of Lobas le Terra, which, in certain poſitions, bear ſuch a reſemblance to each other, that it was difficult to diſtinguiſh any difference between them: while, from the uncertainty of the currents on this coaſt, it might have been as naturally conjectured, that the current had ſet us as much one way as the other. As I had no inducement to beat back again nor any probability of accompliſhing it, without taking a great offing, I continued on my courſe, but never failed to conſult with the whaling-maſter before I ſhifted my ground.
The Iſle Lobas le Mar, is divided into two parts, by a ſmall channel, which will only admit the paſſage of boats, and where the tide is very rapid.
