Sept.] 



ANGRA PEQUENA. 



291 



into the interior of this part of Africa than there is in travelling from 

 New- York to Boston ; providing the travelling party take no arms 

 with them, and no more wearing-apparel than is absolutely necessary. 

 On all my excursions into the interior of this country I was careful to 

 go unarmed, and dressed in nothing but a pair of duck trousers and a 

 duck frock. Thus presenting nothing to excite their cupidity, I was 

 invariably treated by the natives with the greatest kindness and hospi- 

 tality, as they would freely share with me their last morsel of food. I 

 should not hesitate, therefore, to travel across the continent of Africa, 

 if suitable encouragement were offered, as I am confident that the en- 

 terprise would be attended with no personal hazard so far as the natives 

 are concerned. 



Sept. 24tk. — Seventeen miles to the northward of Possession Island 

 is Angra Pequena Bay, where we arrived on Wednesday, the 24th. 

 The westernmost point on the south side of this bay is in lat. 26° 39' 

 south, long. 15° 7' 30" east. This is a high bluff point, rendered con- 

 spicuous by a marble cross erected on the summit in 1486, by Bartholo- 

 mew Diaz, a Portuguese navigator. This monument of his success- 

 ful enterprise along the coast of Africa is still standing, after having 

 braved the storms and heats of three centuries and a half. About four 

 miles eastward of this cross is Angra Point, which has a small 

 rocky reef, lying north-by-east, half a mile from the shore, between 

 which and the point there are five fathoms of water. But I should 

 always advise strangers to pass to the north of this reef, giving it a 

 berth of half a mile. After passing the reef you will open a lagoon 

 running in to the southward, between four and five miles, the entrance 

 to which is one mile and a half wide ; a clear passage, with seven 

 fathoms in the middle of it, becoming gradually more shallow as you 

 approach the head of the lagoon or either shore. After advancing 

 about three miles up this lagoon, you will find four fathoms of water, 

 muddy bottom, and here is the best anchorage under the western shore, 

 about a quarter of a mile from the beach. 



Two miles east-by-north from Angra Point, and due east of the reef 

 just mentioned, are two small islands, about one mile from the main- 

 land, lying parallel with the coast, which runs here nearly north and 

 south. Neither of these islands exceeds a mile in length ; but the 

 southern one shelters good anchorage in five fathoms of water, clay 

 bottom. The best situation to anchor in on the east side of the south 

 island is near its centre, about two cables' length from its shore ; leav- 

 ing a single rock, that lies level with the surface of the water, and 

 nearly mid-channel, about half a mile to the north of the passage. 

 This harbour may be entered and left with perfect safety, either from 

 the north or south end of the island ; but I can recommend the south- 

 ern passage as being the most easy, and entirely clear from dangers 

 twenty fathoms from either shore. The anchorage under the northern 

 island is unsafe, there being several sunken rocks between it and the 

 mainland, which do not always show themselves. 



These two islands have once been the resort of immense numbers 

 of fur-seal, which were doubtless destroyed by the same plague which 

 made such devastation among them on Possession Island, as their re- 



T 2 



