54 llAINY SEASON— STOKMS.
The natural dye is blue, approaching to purple; but by
using metallic and other solutions, it may be turned to purple,
crimson, or scarlet.
Money having been slowly remitted of late years from
the mother-country, a great part of the archilla has been
applied to the payment of the authorities, the clergy, and the
traops (such as they are). A story is told of the last governor
having caused a sham nintiny, in order that he might have a
good reason for selling the ai’cliilla gathered that year, and with
die produce paying the troops-aiid himself. He was broiiglit
out with a rope round his neck into the street, and there
obliged to promise that he would sell the archilla, then in t le
government storehouse, to the best bidder.
A kind of castor-oil plant is found, from which a sma
quantity of oil is obtained, and a sort of soap. Yams are very
scai-ce, being grown only at one part of the island. Mandioca
is common, but it degenerates rapidly, and will not produce
even a second crop. Vegetables of various kinds ai-e abundant
in their seasons.
From August to October is the rainy and sickly season. In
September, a south-west gale is usually experienced ; but from
five to ten hours before its commencement, a dark bank ot
clouds is seen in the southern horizon, which is a sure
forerunner of the gale. Should a vessel be at anchor in the
nort at such a time, she ought to weigh and put to sea, until
die storm has ceased and the swell subsided. In the month
of September preceding our visit, an American merchant-brig
and a Portuguese slaver were at anchor in Port 1 raya. A
bank of clouds was seen during the day in the S.W., and the
American went to sea; but the slaver remained at anchor
A storm arose at night, drove the slave-vessel ashore and
dashed her to pieces in less than half an hour, yet did the
American no damage whatever, and the next day she anchored
again in the port.
In a valley near the town is a very remarkable tree,
of the Baobab kind, supposed to be more than a thousand
years old ; but I am not aware of the grounds upon which this
assertion is made. Wild guinea-fowls are found in flocks,
and there are wild-cats in the unfrequented parts of the
island; hut if induced to take a gun in pursuit of the guinea-
fowls, I would advise a stranger not to overheat himself, or
sleep on shore at n ig h t; for fatal fevers have been contracted
by Europeans, who were unguarded as to their health, while
passing a few days in this hot climate, after being for some
time accustomed to the cold weather of a high northern latitude.
Except during the rainy season, the wind is always northeasterly,
and then the sky is clear and the sun very powerful ;
but a dry haze hangs over the island in a peculiar manner,
and a quantity of fine dust, quite an impalpable powder, frequently
settles on every exposed surface, even on the sails
and rigging of a vessel, when passing near the islands.
On the 8th of February our instruments were re-emharked,
and, after swinging the ship to ascertain the amount of local
attraction, we weighed anchor and sailed. By the compass
fixed upon a stanchion in front of the poop, not twenty minutes
dilference of bearing could be detected, in any position of the
vessel : the object observed being the highest point of a sharp
peak, distant eleven miles.
On the 10th we spoke the Lyra packet, going from England
to Rio de Janeiro, and received a box from her, containing
six of Massey’s sounding-leads, those excellent contrivances
which we frequently found so useful. These machines, as
formerly made, did not answer for a much greater depth than
one hundred fathoms; because their hollow cylinder yielded
to the pressure of the water; but Mr. Massey has since
remedied that defect in their construction.
On the 13th a very confused swell seemed to presage a
change of weather. Hitherto the wind had been steady from
the north-east, and the sky clear ; but on this day large soft
clouds, light variable breezes, rain, and sometimes a short
calm, showed us that we had passed the limits of the northeast
trade wind. 14th. Similar weather, with a good deal of
rain, hut still breeze enough to keep us moving on our course.
On the 15th, the wind was steady from east south-east.