SOUTH AMERICA. 193 



we neared the fort^ we were overtaken by a boat which 

 had been rowed swiftly, and having on board a Portu- 

 guese officer. We waited for some moments with anx- 

 ious suspense, to know the object of his mission; but 

 were soon relieved, on being informed that his visit was 

 only in compliance with the usual ceremony, of board- 

 ing every vessel about to leave the port, for the purpose 

 of ascertaining whether any, and what passengers, 

 had been taken; having made these inquiries, the offi- 

 cer retired, apparently with some surprise and agita- 

 tion, at the preparations on board the Congress. It is 

 unnecessary to say, that we passed the fort without 

 molestation; and soon after had a fine breeze, which 

 enabled us towards evening, to overtake captain 

 Hickey, although he had had several hours start of us. 



From the ninth of February, the day of our depar- 

 ture, until the fifteenth, nothing material occurred in our 

 voyage; we had generally a fair wind, but were consi- 

 derably detained by the slow sailing of the Blossom. 

 The Congress was obliged to be stripped of most of 

 her canvass, so as to keep company with the British 

 ship, which was probably one of the dullest sailors in 

 their navy. We now experienced, in latitude thirty- 

 three degrees, thirty-five minutes, a head wind, which 

 continued from the same point until the nineteenth. 

 We had also to contend with a current, which along 

 this coast, always sets with the wind. During these 

 four days we made about a hundred miles by beating; 

 and in latitude thirty-three degrees, thirty-nine mi- 

 nutes, south, stood into nine fathoms water, hard sand, 

 the water very thick and yellow. We could at this 

 time just discern from deck, the low broken sand hills 

 along this part of the coast. The commodore observed, 

 VOL, I. ^f? 



