54 CAPTAIN TUCKEY’S NARRATIVE. 
Fathoms. 
About 9 miles off shore, 16, oozy sand. 
18 ditto, 30, brown sand. 
94. ditto, 47, ditto and broken shells. 
98 ditto, 67, ditto. 
30 ditto, no bottom at 120. 
Although we took every advantage of the variations 
of the wind, to stand off and in shore, the lightness of 
the breezes, and a daily current cf fifteen miles to the 
north and N.N.E. permitting us barely to hold our 
ground, I determined again to stand off out of soundings, 
in the hope of losing the current and getting fresher breezes. 
In both respects I was, however, disappointed ; for though 
the current became more westerly as we went off shore, its 
velocity encreased at the same time to 50 and 40 miles a day. 
The winds still remaining very light in the morning from 
S.S. E., and from $8.8. W. in the evening, while the trans- 
port being extremely leewardly,and both she and the Congo 
sailing very badly in light winds, our progress was slower 
than ever. In this choice of difficulties I again stood in for 
the land, hoping, that as we were now past the low land to 
the north of Loango, we should meet more regular land and 
sea breezes. We in consequence made the land on the 18th 
in 3°24’; thus having gained but 75 miles southing in 
15 days, by working out of soundings. 
