260 PROFESSOR SMITH’S JOURNAL. 
on board believed it to be one of His Majesty’s ships, which 
were known to be stationed here for the preventing of 
the slave trade. All were immediately busy with writing 
letters. On coming up, however, we felt no small disap- 
pointment on being informed that it was an East India- 
man going to St. Helena. I had indulged a hope of sooth- 
ing my poor mother’s anxiety on my account. We were 
now at a distance of two or three leagues from the coast, 
of which we had a distinct view. The shore consists of 
black perpendicular rocks, with yellowish streaks running 
in the same direction, and mixed with larger spots of the 
same colour ; and lower down resembling beds of pumice- 
stone. Behind these rocks a broad ridge arises covered 
with trees, some of which scattered here and there greatly 
over-topped the rest. In some places we observed plains 
of considerable extent, and of a yellowish colour, pro- 
bably owing to the dry grass; we observed also clouds of 
smoke, proving that the custom of setting dry grass on fire 
is even here prevalent. Several leaves and pieces of wood 
floated past on the water. About the parallel of Cape 
Yamba, and at some distance from the shore, is a conical 
hill, the height ef which, though it is the highest part of 
an extensive ridge, did not appear to exceed 1000 feet. 
The longitude of this coast is very erroneously marked 
on the charts, so that according to the most recent, and 
we may suppose the best, it appeared from several good 
lunar observations, we should have been sailing inland to 
a considerable distance. 
June 14th. A dead albatros (a bird rarely to be met 
