[ 489 ] 



APPENDIX. No. VII. 



HijdrograpMcal Remarlcfifrom the Island of St. Thomas, to the Mouth of the 



Zaire. 



1816. 16th May. At noon the land was reported to be seen from the mast- 

 head, and immediately after from the deck : it was Prince's Island ; and 

 bore S E b. S, 12 or 14 leagues distant. By our observations the centre of it 

 lies in lat. 1»35'N, long. 7°17' 45 E ; variation about 21° W. We continued 

 endeavouring to get to the southward, with light airs from S to S W, and a 

 strong current setting to tlie northward ; and on the I Uxh, at daylight, saw the 

 Island of St. Thomas, bearing S b. W 12 or 11 leagues. We remained two 

 days in sight of it, making scarcely any way to the southward, which induced us 

 to stand to the westward, hoping to get the wind more westerly, and less cur- 

 i"ent ; in both of which expectations we were disappointed : nor did we succeed 

 in getting to the southward of this island until the 27th, having been obliged to 

 stand so far to the westward as 4° E, and then passed only about 4 leagues to the 

 southward of it. The little island of Rolle, at the south end of St Thomas, 

 lies on the equinoctial line, and in long, about 6° 14' 37" E. We continued work- 

 ing to the southward, taking every advantage of the wind, and frequently tryino- 

 for soundings without obtaining them, untU the 3d of June, when, at noon, we 

 had 1 7r fathoms greenish ouse, and immediately saw the coast of Africa. Lat. 

 observed 2° lO'S, long. 9° 29' E. The land was about 1 leagues to the east- 

 ward, which would make the longitude of the coast in the above latitude in 9° 

 41' E. The land appeared low, but owing to the weather being hazy, and our 

 standing off from it, we were not able to make any remarks. The bank of 

 oundings here does not probably run farther off shore than ten leagues, deep- 

 ening as follows : at 10 or 12 miles off shore 18 fathoms, greenish ouze. We 

 then ran S W-|W 5 miles, and had 30 fathoms, coarse sand ; then S W 3 miles 

 further, 4/ fathoms, sand and broken shells: then S W b. W 4 miles, 67 fa- 

 thoms, same bottom, and S W b. Wi W 4 miles, no bottom with 130 fathoms, 

 (these courses are from the true meridian). From this day (the 5th), we conti- 



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