56 CAPTAIN TUCKEY’S NARRATIVE. 
sailing, she was at first supposed to be a ship of war; 
but on approaching us she hoisted English merchant colours, 
and keeping half-gun shot to windward, we were unable to 
speak her; nor did she seem to have any desire to com- 
municate with us. ‘This circumstance, together with 
her apparent force and preparation for defence, having 18 
guns run out of her between-deck ports, with the tompions 
out, left little doubt of her being employed in a forced and 
illicit slave trade. Her anchor a-cock-bill, and her tacking 
with the variations of the wind, proved her to be working 
along shore to the south. 
The land and sea breezes, though now more regular as to 
time, (the former setting in about four in the morning 
from N.E. to S.E., and the latter from two to four in the 
evening from S.W.) were so faint and of so short duration, 
that neither afforded us a run of more than ten miles, while 
the current setting one mile an hour to the north, we re- 
mained in sight of Mayumba bay until the 24th, anchoring 
whenever we found we lost ground. 
The land to the north of this bay presents an undulating 
line, Cape Mayumba being the highest point, and forming 
a little hummock. Point Matooly, the south point of the 
bay, also forming a hummock, descending gradually to the 
south into a line of low even land. The bight of the bay 
