ST. JAGO, CAPE VERDE ISLANDS. 55 



the condition of the atmosphere, which nevertheless appeared 

 clear. 



St. Jago island, August 1th, 8th, and 9th, 1813. — The ship 



anchored at Porto Praya, the port town of San Jago, Cape Yerde 

 Islands, on August 7th. The harbour is exposed to the south- 

 west, and, during the rainy season, from August to October, when 

 south-west gales are frequent, is unsafe. The harbour is 

 bounded by black basaltic cliffs, in which, in several places, a 

 fossiliferous limestone bed, which is described by Darwin, 

 shows out as a conspicuous white streak. 



The town is placed on an isolated mass of a flat, elevated 

 plain, which terminates abruptly seawards in the cliffs above 

 described. A deep valley, with a flourishing grove of cocoanut 

 trees at its bottom, separates this mass from the main table- 

 land on the east side. On the west side, at the base of the mass, 

 lies a sandy plain which extends far back into the country and 

 terminates seawards in a sandy bay, admirably adapted for the 

 use of the sein net. On this plain, behind the town, is a large 

 plantation of date-palms, with artificially irrigated gardens 

 beneath their shade. The dates "were hanging thick upon the 

 trees, but were as yet yellow and unripe ; in ripening they turn 

 first red and then deep purple or black. 



There is a large Baobob tree near the town, which has been 

 mentioned by travellers: its stem is irregular in transverse 

 section and short ; it measured 42 feet in circumference at the 

 time of our visit. The tree was then in full flower, with no 

 fruit as yet of any size. 



The country rises inland in a succession of terrace-like steps 

 often remarkably flat at the tops, and formed by successive 

 flows of lava. The flat table-land nearest the sea was parched 

 and had very little green upon it. Behind rises a succession of 

 small conical hills and higher table-lands, which were brilliantly 

 green. 



As the ship came to anchor, a flock of kites (Milvus korschum) 

 came wheeling round the stern, just as do gulls ordinarily, and 

 keep swooping down after garbage from the ship. Instead of 

 seizing the morsels with their beaks, like gulls, they did so with 

 their claws, putting out one foot for the purpose as they swooped 



