34 PASSAGEFROMMADEIRA 



There was one at the consul's, recently imported from the Foolan 

 district in Africa, who was purchased by him for one hundred ana 

 fifty dollars. 



The costumes here are so various that it scarcely can be said that 

 any one of them is peculiar to the island. The men generally wear 

 a white shirt and trousers, with a dark vest, principally the cast-off 

 clothing of the whites. Others go quite naked, excepting a straw hat ; 

 others again are in loose shirts. The women have a shawl fastened 

 around them, with occasionally another thrown over them, covering 

 the mouth and bust, and crossing behind. The children for the most 

 part go naked. 



The Relief not having arrived, I deemed it an unnecessary deten- 

 tion to await her here. There was great necessity of reaching Rio 

 de Janeiro as soon as possible, in order to complete our outfits, 

 and put the vessels in fit condition to meet the Antarctic cruising 

 as soon as possible. I therefore determined to proceed thither forth- 

 with. The store-ship did not reach Porto Praya until the 18th, 

 after a passage from Hampton Roads of sixty days. Nothing more 

 truly illustrates the necessity of navigating in the prevailing winds, 

 than this passage of the Relief compared with that of the squadron. 

 We took the route by Madeira, over one thousand miles greater in 

 distance, remained there a week, and yet we arrived at Porto Praya 

 eleven days sooner. The Relief, pursuing the direct route, had light 

 baffling winds during her whole passage. Although something is 

 undoubtedly due to her dull sailing, yet the difference is too great to be 

 entirely attributed to that cause. The winds were generally found by 

 her from the northward and eastward, and southward and eastward, 

 whilst we, in a higher latitude, had them from the southwest, and the 

 westward. 



On the 7th of October, we left Porto Praya, and stood for Patty's 

 Overfalls, as laid down on the chart, in latitude 11° N., and longitude 

 24° 25' W. In the afternoon we spoke the Danish brig Lion, from 

 Rio de Janeiro. She had crossed the line in longitude 27° W., and 

 had brought the trades to 6° 30' N. We lost the trade winds the day 

 after we left Porto Praya, the 8th of October, in latitude 12° N., and 

 longitude 23° 30' W. The winds then became variable, and squalls 

 of rain ensued. The upper clouds had still a quick motion to the 

 westward. On the same day we spoke the Crusader, seventy-five 

 days from Bombay, which vessel was in want of medical aid. I sent 

 the surgeon on board, and administered to their wants every thing 

 that was in our power. It afforded us no small pleasure to supply 



