CAPTAIN TUCKEY’S NARRATIVE. 23 
nearly in the middle of the northern equinoctial zone, and 
separated only by a distance of 120 leagues from the 
broadest part of Africa, in their climate and vegetation 
approach nearer to the temperate regions than to the tro- 
pical. In the opposite countries of Senegambia, the rains 
and the hottest season arrive together, and continue during 
the months of May, June, and July. In the Cape Verde 
islands, on the contrary, the rains do not set in until the 
middle of August, (when they are about to cease in Sene- 
gambia,) and continue with intermissions until January or 
February. On our arrival at Porto Praya, the dry season 
had therefore commenced two months; some of the in- 
digenous trees and shrubs had just lost their leaves, and a 
few had put forth new ones; all the perrnnial plants were 
in seed, and all the annual nearly dried up, the vegetation 
being in the same state as in June and July in the Canary 
islands. 
«* Even in the dry season the atmosphere of the Cape 
Verdes is extremely humid, for the air being heated over 
the broadest part of Africa, a great capacity for imbibing 
moisture is thereby acquired, and in passing over the sea it 
is saturated to the highest point, so that the least diminution 
of temperature causes it to deposit abundant vapour Not 
only the highest point of St. Jago, (Pico de San Antonio,) 
