78 CAPTAIN TUCKEY'S NARRATIVE. 



to take off 320 slaves; her burthen being 180 Spanish 

 tons. 



The sea breeze setting in fresh at 2 P. M. on the 9th, and 

 finding the ship under all sail go ahead of her anchor, we 

 weighed, but, though the current was running scarcely three 

 miles an hour, she at first barely stemmed it, and soon went 

 astern ; deepening the water so rapidlj^ that finding we should 

 be out of soundings before we could bring up, 1 had no al- 

 ternative but to run out again and try to anchor under Shark 

 Point ; but so little effect had the sails, even when going 

 with the current, that she drifted bodily on the Moena 

 Moesa bank, on which I was just about to let go the anchor 

 in 7 fathoms, Avhen the sea breeze becoming suddenly and 

 providentially very strong, we got her to stay, and again 

 just fetched Shark Point, Avhere the wind again failed, and 

 Ave Avere driven round bv the current, and ao-ain oblioed to 

 stand out. The wind hoAvever once more freshening at sun- 

 set, after making a short tack off, Ave stretched in, and were 

 fortunate enough at ? o'clock to get to an anchor under 

 Shark Point in 4j fathoms ; an attempt, Avhich I should 

 have considered highly imprudent had I not examined the 

 bank, and taken accurate marks ; nor indeed had I any other 

 alternative l)ut that of finding myself oft' Cabenda in the 

 morning had I kept to sea. 



