TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 



103 



cheek-bones, and long smooth hair, have more re- 

 semblance to the ancient Egyptians. The wind, 

 however, drove us with increased rapidity past this 

 delightful group of islands. In a few days we were 

 in the latitude of Cape Verd. On the evening of 

 the 14th of June, we descried jthe Island of Boa 

 Vista, which appeared like a long and rather low 

 land ; the most southern point of the island bore 

 N. by W. twelve miles distant. None of the other 

 islands were visible, the sky being covered the 

 whole day with grey clouds. In the channel, be- 

 tween the Cape Verd Islands and the continent of 

 Africa, a thick white fog* prevails for the greater 

 part of the year, particularly near the coast, and 

 probably arises from the combination of the exha- 

 lations from the sea, with the impalpable dust brought 

 by the N.E. wind from the neighbouring sandy 

 desert; besides this, the islands themselves, that lie 

 scattered about in this quarter, may, perhaps, con- 

 tribute to collect and condense the vapours rising 

 from the ocean. Navigators, therefore, seldom 

 have a pure sky for their observations in this chan- ' 

 nel ; and they now prefer, on the voyage to the 

 Cape, New Holland, India, and America, to steer 

 to the west, in sight of the islands ; whereas, earlier 

 voyagers kept close to the continent. Those ships 

 which go through the channel keep in longitude 



* Horsburgh's India Directory, London, 1817, 4to. vol. i, 

 second edit. p. 11. 



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