CAPTAIN TUCKEY’S NARRATIVE. 83 
unsuccessful, not taking a single fish, but on the inside, in 
one haul, thirty large fish were taken, some weighing 60lbs ; 
these were all of one kind, of the Sparus genus, and named 
Vela by the natives. They were found to be excellent in 
taste and firmness, much resembling the cod. The only 
other species taken were a single large cat fish (Lophius ) 
and a few small mullets. 
July 12. I now determined to lose no more time in the at- 
tempt to get the transport up the river, but to extricate my- 
self from this exquisitely tantalizing situation by the imme- 
diate transhipment of the provisions and stores to the 
Congo; for which purpose the double boats, and all the 
ship’s boats were hoisted out, on the evening of the 12th, 
and the double boats being put together and rigged, the 
whole were next morning loaded; when therefore the sea 
breeze set in at two o'clock in the afternoon, I took my leave 
of the transport, with the Naturalists, leaving the master and 
purser to see her discharged, or get her up the river if an 
opportunity offered. I had now the satisfaction to find the 
double boats answer my best expectations in their fitness 
for this service; for though the breeze was very light, and 
the current running round Shark point three miles an hour, 
they without difficulty doubled this, to us more redoubtable 
promontory than that of Good Hope to our early navigators, 
