ST. JAGO — CAPE DE VERDE ISLAND3. 27 



The language spoken is a mixture of the Portuguese and 

 the negro dialects. Many of the blacks are slaves, brought 

 from the neighboring coast of Africa, and continue to 

 speak in their mother tongue. They dress in a loose shirt, 

 and seldom use a covering of any sort on their heads. 

 Their children go entirely naked. 



"We have a Consul residing in the town. The climate is 

 not considered healthy for strangers; it is subject to a 

 fever, similar to that which prevails on the coast of Africa. 



St. Jago, like the other Cape deYerde Islands, furnishes 

 the Portuguese government with a place of honorable 

 exile for distinguished subjects, whose political opinions 

 may be adverse to the existing institutions. They are ad- 

 vanced a step or two in rank to repay them, and a poor 

 compensation it is for six years residence in such a misera- 

 ble place, for they are not allowed to return sooner. 



During the short time we remained at the Island, our 

 naturalists were actively employed, and many specimens 

 were added to our collections in botany, ornithology, and 

 shells. 



On the 7th of October, we again spread our sails to the 

 breeze, and stood to sea. During the 9th we experienced 

 variable airs, with calms at intervals. At 10 A. M. on 

 the same day, we found ourselves in the midst of a very 

 strong tide-ripple. There can be no doubt that this agita- 

 tion of the water was caused by a current, for the sea was 

 perfectly smooth only a few minutes before. In the after- 

 noon we were in the position given to Pattey's Overfalls, 

 represented as being so alarming to navigators, but we 

 could see nothing of them. 



November 4th. The " Yincennes" saw ahead what she 

 supposed to be breakers, but upon examining the place it 

 proved to be an ocular deception, produced by the sun's 



