Cape de VERD Islands,
Denominated from the Cape, always green: They were anciently called Hesperides; the Diminutive of Spain, called heretofore Hesperia, propterea quod hæc regio, omnium extrema, sit a sit ad Occidentem; Hesperus, the Evening Star, by a Metaphor signifying the West.
They are inhabited by Portuguese, who welcome all sort of Ships (of good, or ill Design) bound to Guinea, India, Brasil, or the West-Indies; they frequently putting in here to furnish themselves with fresh Provisions, exchanged for Trifles; chiefly at St. Iägo (James) the principal, which has three or four Forts, and where resides the Governour. In several of these Islands there are natural Salt Ponds, kerning great quantities without trouble. The most noted by the English is Maio, or the Isle of May, where many of our Ships lade in Summer; and was, with Tangier, and Bombay in India, Part of Q. Catherine’s Fortune to England. Another of them has a Volcano, and called Del Fuego.
The Land about the Cape appears the Height of that at Deal in Kent; woody, a white even Sand along Shore, and about 28 Fathom Water a League off. Just to the Northward are two or three great Rocks, called by our Sailors Shitten Islands, being white all over with the Dung of Sea-fowls. At the same distance Southward of the Cape, is an Island called Goree, about a League from the Main, has a French Factory with two Forts, commanding all the Trade about the River Senega, from other Nations.
While our Ships lay too here, we had good Fishing with our Lines; took Breams (or Porga’s) Skip-jacks, Groupes, a Rock-fish (thick, short, and of a deep yellow on the Belly, Gills, and Mouth) and the Jew-Fish; which has a double Mouth, the uppermost not to swallow Food, but full of Air-pipes, and finned like a Cod, all well tasted: and having washed them down with a Bowl, our Friends and we parted, the Weymouth steering in for Gambia River with the Governour Colonel Witney, and the Merchants; We for Sierraleon, anchoring there the Beginning of April, 1721.
The Winds from Madeira to Sierraleon at first blew fresh at S. and S. W. and as we came farther to the Southward, they wheel’d gradually on the Western Side of the Circle, quite round to the N. so as in the Latitude of 21 to have it N. E. a true Trade, seven, eight, or nine knots Day and Night; but whether it were the Badness of our half-minute Glasses, the tendency of the Sea with the Wind, or any Current, I cannot tell; but we always found our selves considerably further to the Southward, by Observation every day, than the Distance by the Log would give.
In this Passage, we took up a few Turtle with our Boat. As they sleep and bask upon the Surface, we steal upon them without noise, and throw them in upon their Backs. We saw also abundance of flying Fish, and their continual Enemies, the Albicore and Dolphin; the latter we strike now and then with a Fizgig, or Harping-iron. It is a glorious-colour’d, strait Fish, four or five Foot long, forked Tail, perpendicular to the Horizon: plays familiarly about Ships; is of dry Taste, but makes good Broth. They are seldom seen out of the Latitudes of a Trade-wind; and the flying Fish never: These are the bigness of small Herrings; their Wings about two thirds its length; come narrow from the Body, and end broad; they fly by the help of them a Furlong at a time when pursued, turning in their Flight, sometimes dip in the Sea, and so up again, the Wind making them, by this Expedient, fleeter.
