However, as it pleased God that the wind continued fair at S.E. and by E.,
we found that N.W. by W., which was right afore it, was as good a course
for us as any we could go, and thus we went on.

The voyage was much longer than we expected; our vessel also, which had no
sail that was proportioned to her, made but very little way in the sea, and
sailed heavily. We had, indeed, no great adventures happened in this
voyage, being out of the way of everything that could offer to divert us;
and as for seeing any vessel, we had not the least occasion to hail
anything in all the voyage; for we saw not one vessel, small or great, the
sea we were upon being entirely out of the way of all commerce; for the
people of Madagascar knew no more of the shores of Africa than we did, only
that there was a country of lions, as they call it, that way.

We had been eight or nine days under sail, with a fair wind, when, to our
great joy, one of our men cried out "Land!" We had great reason to be glad
of the discovery, for we had not water enough left for above two or three
days more, though at a short allowance. However, though it was early in the
morning when we discovered it, we made it near night before we reached it,
the wind slackening almost to a calm, and our ship being, as I said, a very
dull sailer.

We were sadly baulked upon our coming to the land, when we found that,
instead of the mainland of Africa, it was only a little island, with no
inhabitants upon it, at least none that we could find; nor any cattle,
except a few goats, of which we killed three only. However, they served us
for fresh meat, and we found very good water; and it was fifteen days more
before we reached the main, which, however, at last we arrived at, and
which was most essential to us, as we came to it just as all our provisions
were spent. Indeed, we may say they were spent first, for we had but a pint