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An.1683
A sort of small Lobsters.
ing Anchor : beside, if ever we should have occa- sion to moor, or cast out two Anchors, we had not a Boat to carry out or weigh an Anchor. These Islands of Sible de Wards were so named by the Dutch. They are all three rocky barren Islands with- out any Tree, only some Dildo-bushes growing on them : and I do believe there is no Water on any one of them, for there was no appearance of any Water. The two Northernmost we could not come near, but the Southermost we came close by, but could not strike ground till within two Cables length of the shore, and there found it to be foul rocky ground.
From the time that we were in 10 degrees South, till we came to these Islands, we had the Wind be- tween E. N. E. and the N. N. E. fair weather, and a brisk gale. The day that we made these Islands we saw great sholes of small Lobsters, which co- loured the Sea Red in spots for a mile in compass, and we drew some of them out of the Sea in our Water-Buckets. They were no bigger than the top of a Mans little finger, yet all their Claws both great and small like a Lobster. I never saw any of this sort of Fish naturally red but here ; for ours on the English Coast, which are black naturally, are not red till they are boil'd : neither did I ever any where else meet with any Fish of the Lobster shape so small as these; unless, it may be, Shrimps, or Prawns. Captain Swan and Captain Eaton met also with shoals of this Fish in much the same Latitude and Longi- tude.
Leaving therefore the Sible de Ward Islands, as having neither good Anchorage nor Water, we sailed on, directing our course for the Streights of Magellan. But the Winds hanging in the wester- bord, and blowing hard, oft put us by our Topsails ; so that we could not fetch it. The 6th day of Fe- bruary we fell in with the Streights Le Mair, which i