18 
SPILSBURY's voyage to AFRICA. 
a sailor when This is supplied by contract, and is of the 
very worst quality, being composed of the sweepings of the ships' 
holds, or v.'hat would otherwise be sold for dyeing. When water 
is added, should any one be blind-folded, I defy hioi to tell what 
the infusion is, as it lias more of the taste of decayed hay, than 
any other thing I can think of. Surely, if a sick sailor is to be 
allowed these necessaries for his comfort and speedy recovery, 
they should, to say the least, be of good quality : I would ask, if 
such wretched stuff as 1 have now described, is worthy of a sur- 
geon's oath, ^' That the necessaries have all been expended for 
the use of the sick onh/T'' I once sent some of the trash to a 
late board ; and received for answer, W e have examined the 
tea, and find it as good as the contract will allozo." There 
used also to be cocoa and spices allowed, but these have vanished, 
and only a few races of ginger substituted for them.- — shall 
now proceed with my journal. 
November iSth. At noon we left Goree, with the Mary and 
Anderson; we were in iat. 15° 12' N. long. 17° 9' W. Had on 
board Ensign Forbes and his lady, as passengers to Sierra Leone^ 
On the i4th, uncommonly large bats flew on board — their heads 
like that of a fox, and their teeth very large; but, on account of 
the cruelty of the sailors, we were obliged to throw them over- ' 
board. We were from now^ till the 22d, continually in sound- 
ings ; during which time, a large quantity of dolphins were 
swimming about the ship. 
November 18th. We had fine clear weather, rather inclining 
to calm. Great quantities of the Remora or sucking tish, under 
our stern, with the beautiful little pilot-iish, in shape nearly re- 
sembling a perch : two or three of these constantly attend the 
shark, playing about his fins, and under his belly, when he is not 
in pursuit of any prey. Of these, the sailors give the same 
account as the natural historians formerly did of the jackall, or 
lion's provider; and it therefore bears that name of pilot-fish: 
in the shark they always find a protector^ as they never swim t» 
any distance from him. 
SIERRA LEONE. 
November (22d. Cloudy with showers of rain, thunder, and 
lightning. Quarter past four P. M. let go out anchor in 1 2 
fathom. At eight o'clock the Anderson fired two guns, and 
made signai for land in the S. E. A beautiful bird flew on 
board, it had blue v.ings 'dud, a red beak: at this time we 
again anchored : lat. 8° 3i:/ N. 
This eveiiiog the atmosphere was e.\tremely mild with hg\d- 
0 
