Having before observed that we bore up a ts ix P . M. for,St,
Jago, aft eleven wfe saw it,, aaad ecMa.tiaiu.ed. oUr edwrsievfor Port
Praya, impending there ;4q refresh and fill up « water.' -After
roundingtbe S. E. point ofiSt. is h id ddwft to be
hlo more that&rsfxorseven miles to Port Praya,. b u t it istheaiEea?
teaai) there h a small, b a j to thd Ea. about four. rhfidsV cafl*tt<by
th& inhabitants after St. Praneia
turned itt the East India Directory as being very apt to mislead
strangers; and,, from the-; appearance ©f it: from the;: sea; not
withoutf-reasoto»; Pbrt. ®m;yai bay: is : hnOWn b^.: tfi^ieoeoa^iiftt
trees, i.whieh are very' ©otsspieuenss a t the .bdtt0iUi.of it, and a
small house. St. Eraachstbay hasiais^eocoafenut trees.; The
distance which the former hay is from-the. Si E. end ofrtheislhnd
corresponds, better with th a t of St' Eraneis than P o rt Praya,
which,, with its likeness to itv did n o t smrprize me that strangers
should be deceived. My second mate having been m P o r t
Praya; some months, previous to his embarking with mej I w-as
persuaded by him' th a t the Bay of . it;;-and
dreading, the loss of time it would • occasion .if I. went past it,-, as
I-did riot mean to touch a t the.Brails, I therefore-ventured
into this dangerous place, taking care ito anchor the veisejkin a
Weatherly situation in case of accidents. I instantly.went on
shore with this man, who still thought he was rig h ts but on
landing he found, to his confusion, he was wrong,. 1 returned
immediately on board and got out of this bay. TheBay Of St;
Erancis may be always -known by its having a t the back of it,
and nearly close down to the water’s edge, an high flat^tOpt
table land standing between two mountains, which cannot be
mistaken. Port Praya has *.at tile bottom of it,, besides the
bouse already mentioned, a long* low valley running inland to
a considerable extent, the mountains- behind which are sharp
and peaked. Near the landing place there are two-remarkable
forts
forts on the E. side; which you must open before you come to
anchof.I;- and onlfhfe W.' side is Quail Island; ^whicb is easily
seen .as you enteér But the-surest made is that froih ;fbe S. E.
end fef the Island of'St. #ago,**the sHore? is low and rocky in general,
until yon reach the Bay-of St. - Erancis ; from thence to
Port Prayathe shore is high elayey •dfiffs,-whieh round into the
harbour forming the E. side* it. Port Pray a'is well known to
beWory .extensive, and capJbie&of containing â numerous fleet
oftshMà 'Thé södndings I found* corresponded1 with those laid
down 'in -the East India Directory.
On S-tmdaydhe'1>ï3th I Came%0 ah anchor, and d ilu ted the
fort withseven guns, which was immediately'returned. I had
performed this first part of m-ywoyage in-twenty^six-days from
Portsmouth, nearly four of which I had lain to. -The Governor
Antonio Mgrceîiho de Bast© received me very politely; and offered
me every assistance in his power, that I might stand in
need of; •"
Much cannot be said of the town, hor the manner the Governor
is lodged. ANatüre has done much for its defence, and since
iheloomtoencemeht of this war the Governor has built two
forts, one ©f fourteen, the other of eleven guns. They are both
inclosed with a wall kept in good order, and white washed,
which make a pleasing appearance. There are also several redoubts
with guns mounted in them, but in à vwy ruinous state.
The inhabitants are chiefly black, a few PfflcCâ's about the Governor
excepted. The troops • appeared to he natives of the
island, black, and poorly clothed. ■ F rom the height that the
forts and : town stand on, a tolerable defence towards the seat
might be made ; but if an enemy was landed the island would
instantly fall ; particularly as it has few internal resbürees, and
even water is brought from a well in the valley at the back of
the