12 ORIENTAL COMMERCE. [Coped* Vends, 



island is in latitude 16° 50 N., and longitude 22° 55' W. On the W. side are 

 three bays: the chief, Mordera Bay, is one of the best in the Cape de Verds, 



BON AVISTA is very uneven. The N. end is in latitude 16° 15 N., 

 longitude 22° 52' W. No fresh water can be had here. The principal 

 road, named English Road, is on the N. W. side of the island. Near the 

 S. E. point is a dangerous reef of' rocks. 



MAYO is about 15 leagues to the S. of Bonavista. Under its S. W. 

 point is English Hoad, where merchant vessels anchor. A reef projects from 

 the N. end to about 2\ miles. This island is frequented, especially by 

 Americans, for its salt. The anchorage is rocky and dangerous. The town is 

 wretched ; the surrounding country almost without vegetation, and the inha- 

 bitants miserable. Live stocjt and a few limes may be had. The water is 

 scarce and bad. The cotton-plant and silk-cotton- tree grow in the interior. 



St. JAGO, the largest and most considerable, is very high. Its prin- 

 cipal road is on the S. E., called Praya Bay* in latitude 14<° 55' N., longitude 

 23° 30' W. The town of Ribiera Grande, on the S. side of the island, is 

 now, with its castle, in a state of decay. 



Porto Praya, or St Jago, about 7 leagues to the N. E. of Ribiera 

 Grande, is now the residence of the Governor of the Cape de Verds. The 

 houses are little better than huts. A battery is placed on a cliff at the bot- 

 tom of the bay, but the guns are in a bad condition. The best anchorage 

 is with the fort bearing N. W., about a mile distant. 



Teade is very trifling. A duty is levied on imports amounting to about 

 10 per cent. 



Provisions and Refreshments. — The privilege of selling cattle to 

 shipping, and European goods to the inhabitants, is vested in a Company; 

 but the natives may traffic in other articles. Cattle must be paid for in 

 Spanish dollars ; other refreshments arc better procured for old clothes, par- 

 ticularly black. The fruits are oranges, guavas, cocoa-nuts, limes, plan- 

 tains, pine-apples, and tamarinds. Vegetables are rather scarce. Indian 

 corn is plentiful. The water is generally very good. The cistern which 

 supplies the ships, is at the bottom of the hill where the fort is built, about 

 a quarter of a mile from the beach. As there is generally some surf upon 

 the beach, boats should lie at their grapnels, and the casks of water be 

 hoisted into them, after being filled at the cistern, rolled down, and floated 

 through the surf. A pump should be sent on shore, instead of using the 

 common buckets. Some planks will be useful to place under the casks when 

 rolling, where the ground is stony, uneven, or where it is soft sand. 



FOGO, or FUEGO, is the highest of the islands, and has an immense 

 volcano, continual ly burning, seen sometimes at 30 leagued distance. The 



