58 
TUB GOVEENOESHIP. 
the catalogue of their wants. Thus the chief magis- 
trate holds office during the period of the arriyal of 
ten ships. He is attended by his mate, his boatswain, 
and his steward, who all participate in the advantages 
accruing from such events, and they hold their situa- 
tions on the same terms as their patron. But whether 
they have any other privilege or jurisdiction, it was 
impossible to learn with certainty. The ex-Governor is 
called J ob, that is, “ finished,” according to their ex- 
planation. The Governor Job of our epoch lost his 
office in consequence of the wreck of a ship. But 
whether that was his tenth arrival, or whether it was 
looked upon as an untoward event, or more likely as 
being equivalent to several arrivals, we could not 
learn. It is however very difficult to obtain any 
information, as they speak English perhaps more im- 
perfectly than any who have equal intercourse ; and 
though they appear to use the Portuguese language 
with more fluency, it is most likely a patois mixed up 
of Portuguese and the language or languages of their 
ancestors, as they w^ere doubtless slaves of various 
nations placed here by the Portuguese. We could 
not learn that more than one dialect was spoken in the 
island ; all the answers obtained referred to the same 
object — namely, their poverty, which was an explana- 
tion for everything, and a reason for not satisfying 
our curiosity on any other subject. They always re- 
verted to the palpable truism, “ Annobon poor fellow, 
no have sliirt, no have trouwsa.” 
