20°2 



On the 17 tli of April, having proceeded considerably to the 

 westward of the coast of Guinea, we had the happiness to find the 

 wind veering gradually from west, and at length it settled in the 

 regular north-east trade. We soon forgot all our late misfortunes; 

 the anticipation of pleasures in our native isle again seasoned our 

 repast, and we sailed gaily on. In three days we saw St. Jago, 

 Brava, and several of the Cape de Verd Islands, and were de- 

 tained by a calm close to Fogo, a barren mountainous island, only 

 ten miles in circumference, which takes its name from a burning 

 mountain, that frequently sends forth liquid lava and other vol- 

 canic matter, like the more sublime alembics of Etna and Vesu- 

 vius. Brava, situated between Fogo and St. Jago, seems to be 

 an uninhabited mountain, three or four miles long. I have 

 already described St. Jago in my voyage to India; very few of 

 the homeward-bound ships ever fall in with the Cape de Verd 

 Islands. 



From thence pleasant gales and fair weather carried us to the 

 Azores, or Western Islands, which we saw on the 13th of May ; 

 1 must except one half-hour, when we were suddenly assailed by 

 a violent storm, with thunder, lightning, and rain. It came on so 

 instantaneously that we had no time to prepare against it before 

 all our sails were split to pieces: it commenced from the south- 

 east, and in a moment shifted to the north. I shall not attempt 

 to describe this dreadful scene; its horrors exceeded every thing 

 I could have conceived, and the oldest seamen declared they had 

 never met with any thing to equal it. Fully indeed did we realize 

 the description of my favorite bard. 



