The flux and reflux are each of six hours continuance, the
tide here only flows four hours, and ebbs eight, and the violence of the
flowing tide is quite incredible, insomuch that we had great difficulty
to stem it with three anchors a-head. Nay, such was its impetuosity, that
we were sometimes obliged to hoist our sails, and even then it exceeded
the force of the wind.
Taking our departure from the mouth of this vast river, on our way back
to Portugal, we directed our course to two large islands and some small
ones, which lay about thirty miles distance from the continent, which we
found quite low, yet full of large and beautiful green trees, and
inhabited by Negroes[10]. Encountering here the same difficulty of
intercourse, for want of knowing their language, we made no stop, but
took our departure for Portugal, where we arrived in safety.
[1] At this place Grynaeus calls him Batrinense; though he had named him
rightly Bati-mansa before. - Astl.
[2] This is now called Cape St Mary. - E.
[3] This seems to allude to what is now called Bald Cape, about twenty
miles south from Cape St Mary, and stretching somewhat farther west;
from which there extends breakers or sunken rocks a considerable
distance from the land.
![A General History And Collection Of Voyages And Travels - Volume 2 - By Robert Kerr
- We stayed two days in the mouth of
this large river, which we therefore named Rio Grande[8], and where - Page 390](../images/travel.jpg)
