26 ISLES DE LOS. 



arrival, the British settlement there having been 

 long previously broken up. The inhabitants whom 

 we found there consisted of discharged veterans 

 from the West India regiments, and the colonial 

 schooner from Sierra Leone was lying at Ta- 

 mara, the principal island, paying them their 

 pensions. The day after our arrival, his Majes- 

 ty's brig Charybdis, Lieut. Crawford comman- 

 der, came in on her way to the Gambia, and 

 anchored near us. Lieut. Crawford informed us 

 that the slave-trade was brisker than ever on the 

 coast. He had been unfortunate, not having 

 taken any prizes, and appeared to regret very 

 much having to go to the northward, where there 

 was less chance of falling in with them. 



The Isles de Los are well situated for trade in 

 consequence of their proximity to the mouths of 

 the Rio Pongo and Rio Nunez, two rivers hi- 

 therto little frequented by the English, though a 

 considerable trade has always been carried on 

 with them by the Spaniards and Portuguese. 

 The islands are also considerably healthier than 

 any part of the neighbouring coast ; they are 

 evidently volcanic, and appeared to me to have 

 formed the sides of an immense crater. 



On Friday the 7th of September, having com- 



