Voyage to the Western Coast of Africa. ^25 



rooms are excessively hot, lioles are bored in the doors to allow 

 some circulation of air, and the doors kept open in the day- 

 time, and the windsail introduced ; this is likewise done to the 

 spirit-room and after-hold. The usual regulations about keep- 

 ing stoves between decks are constantly continued. A number 

 of canoes come from the shore, but bring nothing on board. 

 For several days past, immense flocks of swallows have settled 

 about the mast-heads and rigging about 8 o'clock in' the morn- 

 ing, the ship seeming to attract their attention ; but after flying 

 about for half an hour, they rise to a great height in the 

 air, and then go to the southward. This week I have been 

 obliged to put the crew to an allowance of water, as itis diffi- 

 cult to be got on the coast, — two quarts per man, exclusive of 

 their pease-soup and burgoo. The officers have the same allow- 

 ance. This is found to be quite sufficient, and saves nearly a 

 ton per day. Barometer SQ^^j to 29/g ; thermometer from 

 8° to 83°. Lat. 4° 21'. 



During these eight days, from the 3d to the 13th January, 

 we have had extremely thick weather (being what is called the 

 Harmattan season), so that we were unable to see the land at 

 two miles distance. The air is very moist, and a heavy dew 

 falls in the night. Iron rusts on the least exposure to the air, 

 and leather of every description is covered with mould. The 

 sick-list consists of five, all very slight complaints, except Ros- 

 well, who still continues the same. Every attention is paid 

 to keep the ship well ventilated between decks, by stoves and 

 windsails. The 12th of the month I had the misfortune to 

 put the barometer out of order. I had screwed the mercury 

 to the top of the tube, to remove the instrument out of the 

 way of the people washing the cabin, but it would not descend 

 again, owing probably to the aperture in the lower end of the 

 tube being too small. But the want of a barometer is less 

 severely felt here than in higher latitudes, where the varia- 

 tion is more considerable, for some weeks past the change havino' 

 been no more than ^j^. The thermometer stands generally at 

 82". Lat. 4' 51'. 



Between the 13th and 20th January we were principally at 

 anchor on the coast, and at Cape Coast Castle. The thermome- 

 ter in the morning is generally 79% and at noon 83^ The sick- 



