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On the 31st January, 1721, we entered the channel between the islands of Quibo and Quivetta, in lat. 7° 18' N. in twenty fathoms water, and anchored opposite a sandy bay, which promised to afford convenience for wooding and watering.
In going out from the channel of Quibo, we were in imminent danger of being forced by the current upon two rocks at a small distance from each other, off the northern point of Quivetta; but having cleared them, we steered through Canal bueno, or the good channel, so called from its safety, being free from rocks or shoals.
The mulattoes on the coast of Mexico are remarkable for their courage, and have sometimes done very bold actions, even in such paltry vessels as these we now saw: These, however, steered into a small cove on the island of Quivetta, which satisfied us they had no intentions to attack us.
On attentive consideration, I resolved not to shut up our vessel in a close harbour, for fear of bad consequences, and remained therefore at anchor in the open channel. At day-break next morning, we saw two large boats under Spanish colours, rowing in for Quivetta, which gave me some apprehensions they had some intelligence of us, and intended an attack.
The pearl-fishers, not being able to follow their occupation during the vandevals, or black stormy months, from the beginning of June to the end of November, have a few scattered huts in several parts of this island and of Quivetta, used by the divers during their season, in which they sleep and open their oysters, so that the sandy beach is covered with fine mother-of-pearl shells.
The Spaniards say that this animal, although but small even at its full growth, is a terrible creature to meet wild in the woods. Returning through the Canal bueno, we stopt at Quibo to complete our water; and on leaving that island, gave the largest piragua to our two prisoners, to enable those who were on the island of Quivetta to return home.
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