1823.] 
is a Brazilian, in fact, they say; and 
we have had proof that he is so in 
externals. It is even hinted that 
measures are taken for a formal sepa- 
ration. * * 2 i : 
Were I to give an opinion, I should 
say they were right; otherwise the 
people cannot do justice to themselves. 
A perfect and equal union is perhaps 
unexceptionable; but a union where 
all the power and profit, and other 
advantages, are restricted to one 
party alone, cannot, in the nature of 
things,—and indeed ought .not,—to 
exist. 
I naturally learned much of the 
public sentiment, from being there 
six weeks, and associating much with 
those who understand it, and pretend 
to some intimacy with what is going 
on. Our long detention proceeded 
from the delays incident to the pur- 
chase of a tender, for the purpose of 
scouring the bays, rivers, and shal- 
_lows, on the African coast; to sound 
the way for the larger ships; and at 
the same time give more accommoda- 
tion and comfort, and preservation to 
the health, of the seamen, than could 
possibly be effected in open boats; it 
being well known that exposure’ to 
the sun, rain, and night-dews, is the 
chief source of disease within the 
tropics. Nor, indeed, is it practicable 
to use the instruments of surveying 
with steadiness, or work the calcula- 
tions with ease or accuracy, within the 
eribbed-up compass of a ship’s boat. 
The craft now substituted is of Ame- 
rican structure, drawing only six feet 
water when laden, 140 tons burden, 
lately called the Braganza of New 
York, but now his Majesty’s brigan- 
tine Cockburn. She was built for a 
steam-vessel, in which capacity she 
was acting at the time of purchase; 
and, being totally without keel, has 
proved very leewardly, when on a 
wind, during our passage from Rio 
hither, but sails extremely well free, 
Another good quality is being an ex- 
cellent sea-boat; I have rarely seen 
better. In crossing the Atlantic, the 
heavy swell caused the Leven, a 
clumsy awkward vessel, to roll gun- 
wales in, and the Barracouta little 
better; while in the Cockburn the 
dinner paraphernalia remained nearly 
as steadily.on the table as if at anchor. 
This I mainly attribute to her great 
beam (breadth), which is twenty-four 
feet, equal to that of the Barracouta, 
though above one hundred tons less 
Expedition to the Eastern Coast of Africa. 
483 
in burden. In this respect I am sa- 
tisfied that all our men-of-war, parti- 
cularly of the smaller class, are defi- 
cient, Some alarm occurred during a 
breeze on the passage over, when she 
made four feet water an hour; but, 
being iron-fastened and doubled, part 
of the latter of which had come off on 
the larboard side, along with some ill- 
stopped plug-holes in the bottom, ex- 
plained the cause, which was therefore 
soon rectified. She is soon to be 
hauled up in the dock-yard here, and 
a keel put on, when she will be a use- 
ful craft, admirably adapted for her 
work. 
I have been looking round here as 
you desired. This is a tolerably good 
anchorage for about a dozen sail of the 
line, but not for a large number; and 
is but little adapted for the repair of 
shipping, when there is any thing the 
matter below the water line. In this 
respect the Cape is miserably defi- 
cient, there being no dock nearer than 
Bombay. Table Bay, on the other 
side of the peninsula,—where traders, 
intending to discharge their cargoes, 
are obliged to anchor, from being in 
the vicinity of Cape Town,—is like- 
wise a wild open anchorage, totally 
unpleasing to a nautical eye, which 
instinctively looks around for shelter 
and security from the elements, as a 
soldier for points of strength, or a 
painter for the picturesque. The na- 
val arsenal used to be there, but about 
nine years ago was removed hither. 
Of its insecurity we have just had an 
instance. The Cygnet sloop of war 
sailed hence a few days back with 
military stores to be discharged; a 
gale of wind at north-west came on, 
made her part one cable, with the loss 
of several men, and drove two mer-~ 
chantmen on shore, which are quite 
wrecks, with the destruction of their 
cargoes, and also some lives. 
The country around this place is of 
an indifferent character; rock, and 
pebble, and sand, constitute some of 
the chief ingredients; not but there 
are a few tolerable farms in the neigh- 
bourhood, though scattered and iso- 
lated amid unproductive land. The 
little that is good is high in price; a 
farmer, therefore, has no business 
here: but it is different with mecha- 
nics. Cape Town, I think, affords a 
good opening for this. class, there 
being few but slaves, who are not the 
most expert at their work. Labour 
also is high; beef and nsutton about 
three 
