250 A YEAR IN BRAZIL. 



sphere made it appear as if we had not done half that 

 distance. The Cape Verd group includes seven named 

 islands : S. Antonio, S. Nicolas, Sal, Boa Vista, Maio, 

 Santiago, and Fogo, besides other smaller ones. They 

 occupy a space of 150 miles north to south, and 180 miles 

 east to west. 



August 10. — Crossed the Tropic of Cancer (one year 

 and fifty-five days in the tropics). Saw large shoal of 

 porpoises. 



August II. — Saw the top of Teneriffe above masses of 

 clouds at 12.30 p.m. At 3.30, just after passing the south 

 end of the island, we sighted a French steamer close in 

 shore, and watched her, as she seemed to be making no 

 progress ; at length, when we came abreast of her, and 

 perhaps three miles off, she ran up the tricolour and 

 signals. We ported helm, made towards her, and then 

 spoke to her. She signalled, " In distress ; engines broken 

 down." We answered, " Do you want help ? " She replied, 

 " Whither are you bound ? " We retorted by asking her 

 name, and she did not give it, but politely saluted us by 

 lowering her flag three times, and so we parted. The 

 captain saw it was all straight, and that, being at anchor 

 and to windward of the island, there was no fear. This 

 little adventure gave us the advantage of getting close 

 in to the shore, so that we were able to distinguish two 

 considerable villages, and two or three fazendas nestled 

 on the hillside, although they were some five miles off. 

 The lofty and lengthy outline of the range, which slopes 

 up gradually from the sea, reminded me somewhat of the 

 view of the Glydrs, as seen from the road between Pen-y- 

 gwryd and Capel Curig, only supposing the high-road to 

 be the shore, and the slopes up to the Glydrs to be seven 

 thousand to nine thousand feet instead of one thousand 



