224 Voyage to the Western Coast of Africa. 



ing, when the barometer again rises. (Query, may not the rise 

 of the tide have some effect on the barometer, as, since we have 

 come to the coast, it has generally fallen at high water ?) 



Lime-juice and sugar are not now served, as from the good 

 health of the people it seems to be unnecessary. Indeed, I 

 never saw a crew in better health and spirits. The water we 

 got at St Jago becomes very bad ; it tastes of decayed vege- 

 tables, and has a disagreeable smell, though the ventilator is 

 used to sweeten it. Barometer varied from 30 to 29ts ' ther- 

 mometer from 78° to 80°. Lat. 7° 35'. 



From the 23d to 29th December, the weather has been 

 extremely sultry, being for the most part calm, with thunder 

 and lightning in the night, with heavy torrents of rain. The 

 people are thus generally drenched ; however, in the morning, 

 their wet clothes are ordered to be hung up, on lines between 

 the masts, and dried. The sick-list consists of five ; none 

 seriously ill except Roswell, and another man, who slept one 

 night on shore at St Jago ; he has been attacked with a severe 

 fever, and is very much reduced. Stoves are uniformly hung 

 between decks evei*y forenoon, and all afternoon, and although 

 the climate is so hot, yet I think this practice is even more 

 necessary than in the English Channel ; for I observe, when 

 any drop of water happens to be spilt, it will remain for days 

 without being dried up, and this, too, in my own cabin, where 

 there is a constant current of air. A few of the young people 

 in the ship have been attacked with boils about the face and 

 joints ; but they generally get well in a day or two. From the 

 great heat of the weather, the people allow their thick clothes 

 to be lying about the decks. I have in consequence ordered 

 them to be collected, and after being dried, put into bags, and 

 deposited in one of the store-rooms : they will be given back to 

 the owners when we again come into a cold climate ; — if this 

 precaution is not taken, they would be lost or sold, and the 

 people would want proper clothes on the home-passage, as I 

 have often before experienced. Barometer from 30 to SQ/j ; 

 the thermometer from 81° to 82". Lat. 5° 11'. 



From the 30th December to the 5th January 1800, we had 

 almost constant calm, with thunder, hghtning, and heavy rain 

 in the night. No fresh complaints have appeared. The store- 



