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of the coast of Guinea, near St. Ann's, generally called the Gold 

 coast, from its producing gold, ivory, and slaves; but as none of the 

 natives came off, and we sent no boat on shore, I had not an op- 

 portunity of making further observations. 



Although it was deemed imprudent to have any communica- 

 tion with the natives, or partake of nature's bounty on shore, we 

 unfortunately continued near it a long time. We weighed anchor 

 the next morning, but could neither get out of soundings, nor lose 

 sight of the coast. The land-winds were too faint to assist us, 

 and the sea breezes always contrary; to render our situation still 

 more distressing, an unfavourable southern current set so strong 

 that frequently when we had sailed several miles to the northward, 

 the observation convinced us we were far south of our last reckon- 

 ing; and thus, after a fortnight had elapsed, we were further from 

 England than when we first saw the land. The wind seldom 

 varied more than two points from the north-west, which was the 

 very course we wanted to steer; we crossed the line several degrees 

 more to the eastward than is customary for the homeward-bound 

 ships from India. 



The days. were sultry, and the nightly dews unwholesome; the 

 pressure of the atmosphere caused a lassitude both of body and 

 mind. Nothing can be more uncertain than the weather on the 

 coast of Guinea: from a sky perfectly clear and serene, in a mo- 

 ment bursts a storm of thunder, lightning, rain, and wind; the sea 

 instantly becomes confused and tumultuous, its lovely lints of 

 azure and aqua-marina, assume the sable hue of the overspreading 

 gloom; this as suddenly subsiding leaves the air more sultry than 

 before, producing all the enervating effects of the Italian Sirocco. 



