1821.] 



ward, we soon lost sight of Palma. At 

 3 P. M. a strange sail was perceived 

 standing due west, which we at first 

 conjectured to be a South American 

 privateer. As the day broke, Ferro, 

 another of the Canary isles, was dis- 

 cernable, with more land on our lar- 

 board. The sail we saw on the pre- 

 ceding night was now far astern, but, 

 laying our course, we were induced to 

 suppose ^he was one of the ships for the 

 Cape with settlers. Our top-sails were 

 immediately put aback, and we lay 

 too for some time, for the purpose of 

 speaking her. As she approached we 

 could discern her number, and with 

 no little satisfaction found her to be the 

 Nautilus, as we had parted company 

 with her in the Downs. At noon she 

 was within hail, and, after the custom- 

 ary ceremonies had been gone through, 

 they gave us three hearty cheers, which 

 we returned them Avith interest. We 

 were happy to learn they were all in 

 good health, and had lost but one child, 

 and we now stood our course together 

 with a fine breeze from the NW. 

 Thursday, Jan. 3rd, lat. 25' 48' light 

 breezes from tlie NE. ; we were now in 

 the Trades, the weather continuing 

 remarkably fine, resembling in tem- 

 perature the June of England, with 

 a cloudless sky. 



On Sunday divine service was per- 

 formed, as had always hitherto been 

 the case when the weather would per- 

 mit. On this day three large whales 

 were seen astern, as were several sharks, 

 which contributed much to our amuse- 

 ment, but at present we had not been 

 able to take any. We now stood for 

 the Cape de Verd islands, and, on the 

 Tuesday morning could discern the 

 island of Sal, so called from the quan- 

 tity of salt it produces ; bearing E. SE. 

 disfa:ice six leagues, its appearance 

 was rather novel, being very flat near 

 the shores, with several high rocks 

 scattered over it, in the form of sugar 

 loaves ; it is nearly uninhabited, and 

 h.as a very sterile aspect. The even- 

 ings being remarkably fine, we accord- 

 ing to custom, spent the early part of 

 the night in dancing, singing, and 

 other amusements. The next land we 

 made was the island of Mai, and on 

 the Wednesday morning the island of 

 St. Jago was plainly discerned, bearing 

 E. by S. half S., and as it was the in- 

 tention of Lieut. Cole, the transport 

 agent, to put in here for a few days, 

 for the purpose of procuring refresh- 

 ments for the women and cliildren, we 



Voyage to the Cape of the New Settlers. 



207 



dropped anchor in Porto Praya, at 4 

 P.M. of the same day, being the 12th of 

 January. 



The Nautilus (not having parted 

 with her since our joining company off 

 Palma) dropped anchor at the same 

 hour ; we were all in extreme good 

 health, having lost two children with 

 the hooping cough, the Nautilus hav- 

 ing lost three. As some doubts were 

 entertained whether thegovernor would 

 permit us to land, on account of having 

 so many women and children on board, 

 the proper authorities waited on that 

 personage for permission so to do. The 

 greatest anxiety was evinced for their 

 return to the sliip, and in the evening 

 we received the governor's permission 

 to go to any part of the island, and in 

 the morning boats came alongside, for 

 the purpose of conveying those on 

 shore who felt so inclined, and few 

 neglected taking advantage of the oc- 

 casion. We were landed on a level 

 sandy beach, from which to the town of 

 Porto Praya, we ascended by a steep 

 hill, composed of a yellowish slaty mat- 

 ter. The town chiefly consists of one 

 square of tolerably well built houses ; in 

 this square the market is held, which 

 was well supplied with oranges, lemons, 

 plantains, bananas, cocoa nuts, figs, 

 goats, pigs, turkeys, fowls, &c. on the 

 occasion. From the town you descend 

 by a winding pass to a very fine valley, 

 where there is a plantation of cotton 

 trees. Here the palma christi, or castor 

 tree, from which the oil of that name 

 is expressed, is found in great abun- 

 dance, and in the highest perfection, 

 with great quantities of melons, pump- 

 kins, calabashes, &c. The inhabitants, 

 who consist of negroes and a few Eu- 

 ropean store-keepers, live a very inac- 

 tive life, and are by no means remark- 

 able for their faculty in distinguishing 

 meum from timm. 



No person, on landing at Porto 

 Praya, would imagine the place to be 

 in the hands of an enlightened govern- 

 ment ; for with the exception of a 

 badly-constnicted fort, there is not a 

 public edifice worthy of the name. The 

 water is Conveyed on the heads of wo- 

 men, chiefly with a child at their backs, 

 up the steep from the valley I before 

 spoke of; their apparel is chiefly such 

 as they procure from the shipping, 

 which, from time to time, put in here; 

 therefore an old coat or shirt will pur- 

 chase more than dollars: this was soon 

 discovered, and the market-place, on 

 the following day, I can couipare to 

 nothing 



