July.] 



CAPE VERDS— SAL— BONAVISTA. 



263 



journey was fruitless, as the man had gone to Bonavista, an island 

 farther south. But I did not regret the ride, as it afforded me an op- 

 portunity of becoming better acquainted with the interior of this barren 

 country, and the following is the result of my observations : — 



Towards the seashore the island presents the most forbidding 

 aspect, every feature bearing the impress of hopeless sterility. Here 

 some mighty convulsion of nature has piled matter upon matter, in 

 what may be termed a " regular confusion." The two prominent forms 

 are generally those of platforms, or table-lands, which are perpendicu- 

 lar as a wall on one side, and level with the neighbouring land on the 

 other ; with series of perfectly conical hillocks, diminishing in size by 

 regular gradations. Over the interior of the island are scattered vast 

 irregular masses, forming shapeless mountains, and long serrated or in- 

 dented outlines. The whole of the elevated grounds which I passed over 

 are covered with loose blocks of stone, basalt, lava, and other volcanic 

 productions ; and the beds of the numerous torrents, which were now 

 entirely dry, exhibited a covering of black basaltic sand. I have there- 

 fore no doubt that this island, like all the rest on the western coast of 

 Africa, is of a submarine volcanic origin, and mostly of the basaltic 

 formation. The only animals I saw were a few goats, asses, and 

 ponies. 



The only vegetation which this island produces consists of about a 

 dozen kinds of shrubs, and a few melancholy date-trees, useful only 

 for their long branches, as their fruit never comes to perfection. The 

 mimosa, or sensitive-plant is also found here, scattered thinly about in 

 certain places, apparently " out of its element." The few vegetables 

 that I met with were completely burnt up for the want of moisture ; 

 as, with the exception of a spring in the centre of the island, not a 

 drop of fresh water cheered my eye or cooled my lips, during this 

 steril and fruitless excursion. I was glad to return to the Antarctic, 

 and get under way for Bonavista, which we did at 1, P. M., with a 

 fine breeze from north-east, and fair weather. 



At half-past 4, P. M., we came to anchor in English Road, or Bona- 

 vista harbour, in three fathoms of water, mud and clay bottom. This 

 anchorage is in latitude 16° 10' north, long. 22° 53' west. 



