Travels Of Richard And John Lander Into The Interior Of Africa For The Discovery Of The Course And Termination Of The Niger By Robert Huish
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The
Place From Which This Is Obtained, Is Called Ephraim Town, Where It
Appears To Be Very Plentiful.
Being tired of Fernando Po, Lander
accepted his invitation, in order to pass away the time that they
would
Still have to wait before they could get away, notwithstanding
all their anxiety to reach home with the news of their discovery.
John Lander, being very ill, was unable to accompany them. Richard,
therefore, left him at Clarence, and embarked with Mr. Becroft in the
evening. They departed from Clarence with a fine breeze, but found it
necessary in going out, to be particularly careful of being drifted
by the tide, either on Point William, or on the Adelaide islets at
each extremity of the cove, as the tide always sets either towards
the one or the other. In leaving the cove, it is best to keep, as
near as possible, midway between the two extremes, and not to
approach either the one or the other, nearer than can be possibly
avoided. The currents in the Gulf of Guinea are stated to be very
variable, although they are most generally from the westward, obeying
the direction of the sea breeze. The harmattan generally produces a
very strong westerly current in direct opposition to this, and the
want of knowing it, has frequently proved fatal to vessels; the
masters of which, imagining that they were under the influence of an
easterly current, have been actually drifted many miles to the
westward in the course of a single night, and have found themselves
on shore the next morning; the violence of the current from the
westward when the sea breezes are strong, is so great, that it is
scarcely possible to believe, that a day or two of the harmattan
would overcome it, but the effect of this is so powerful, that it is
well known, to those, who have frequented the gulf, that the current
produced by the harmattan, will even continue against the westerly
winds, after they may have again set in.
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