56' N. Having Steered All Day East,
Sometimes Half A Point North Or South, As Our Water Deepened Or Shoaled,
For we would sometimes have ten fathoms or more one cast, and the next
seven fathoms, the ground being full
Of pits, believing that we were
upon the edge of the shoals of Santa Anna, otherwise called Madera
bomba. In the afternoon we had 9, 10, 11, and 12 fathoms. The
first-seen land proved to be Ilha Verde, a very round land, and a very
notable mark for any ship bound for Sierra Leona from the southwards.
About seven p.m. we anchored in 20 fathoms on hard sand, the south part
of Ilha Verde, bearing E. and the Cape of Sierra Leona, which is a low
point, N. by E. about eight leagues distant. But the land over the cape
is very high, and may be seen fifteen leagues off in clear weather.
About six next morning we made sail for the road, and had not less than
16, 15, 10, and 9 fathoms, till we ranged north and south with the rocks
which lie about 1-1/2 miles west of Cape Sierra Leona; and when one mile
from the nearest shore we had seven fathoms, good shoaling between us
and the rock. Immediately when past the rock we had 20 fathoms, and
shoaled to 18, 16, 12, and 10 fathoms all the way into the roads,
keeping very near the south shore; for a sand lies about two miles from
the north shore, or a league from the south shore, and upon it the sea
continually breaks. We came to anchor in ten fathoms on good ground, the
point of Sierra Leona bearing W. by N. the north point of the bay N. by
W. and the sand or breaker N.N.E.
In the afternoon we were waved by some men on shore, to whom I sent my
boat, which, leaving two hostages, brought off four negroes, who
promised us refreshments. My skiff sounded between our anchorage and the
breakers, finding fair shoaling, with two fathoms water within two boats
length of the breach, or sand on which the sea breaks. All the previous
observations of the variation, since our coming from 2 deg. N. latitude to
this place, proved erroneous; for to each distance, having reference to
any meridian eastwards, there must be added 30 leagues, and from such as
referred to western meridians, 30 leagues must be subtracted; for it
appeared, by our falling in with the land, that the ship was so much
more westerly than we supposed; myself, notwithstanding this error,
being as much, if not more westerly than any of the mariners. Yet every
man must trust to his own experience; for instruments may deceive, even
in the hands of the most skilful.
The 7th August, some negroes of a superior appearance came aboard in my
boat, for whom, as for all others, we had to leave one of our men in
hostage for every two of them. These men made signs that I should send
some men up the country, and they would stay as hostages. I accordingly
sent Edward Bradbury, and my servant, William Cotterell, with a present
to the captain, or chief, consisting of one coarse shirt, three feet of
a bar of iron, a few glass beads, and two knives. They returned towards
night, and brought me from the captain, one small gold ear-ring, worth
some eight or nine shillings; and as it was late, the hostages remained
all night on board without any one in pawn for them. I sent my boat, and
brought off five tons of water, very good, and easily come by.
I went ashore on the 11th, when the people came to us, accompanied by
their women, yet feared we might carry them away. We got plenty of
lemons very cheap, as they gave us 200 for a penny knife. The 18th I
bought an elephant's tooth of 63 pounds weight, for five yards of blue
calico, and seven or eight pounds of bar iron. The 15th, in an hour and
a half, we took six thousand excellent small fish, called cavallos.
That afternoon we bought two or three thousand lemons at the village. It
rained so much at this place, that we esteemed it a dry day when we had
three hours of fair weather. The 16th I allowed our weekly workers to go
on shore with me for recreation. In our walk we saw not above two or
three acres sown with rice, the surface of the ground being mostly a
hard rock. The 16th and 17th were quite fair, and on the latter I
caused a quantity of lemon water to be made.
The 20th, John Rogers returned and brought me a present of a piece of
gold in form of a half-moon, worth five or six shillings. He reported
the people to be peaceable, the chief without state, the landing to be
two leagues up the river, and the chief's village eight miles from the
landing. The 22d I went on shore, and made six or seven barricos full
of lemon juice; having opened a firkin of knives belonging to the
company, wherewith to buy limes. The afternoon of the 7th September we
went all on shore, to try if we could shoot an elephant; when we shot
seven or eight bullets into him, and made him bleed exceedingly, as
appeared by his track; but night coming on, we had to go on board
without effecting our purpose.
The best road and watering-place is the fourth bay to the east of Cape
Sierra Leona. The tide where we rode flowed W.S.W. and the highest water
upon a spring tide was at the least 12 feet. I made no observation of
the sun in this road, neither aboard nor on shore, though I proposed to
have so done several times; but the master made the road where we lay 8 deg.
36' N. Cape Sierra Leona being west, a league or four miles off.
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