FROM MADEIRA--TOWARDS THE CAPE
On quitting Funchal Road, we were taken aback, at two o'clock, by the east-north-east wind, about two miles off Brazen Head. It blew so strong as to make it necessary to clew down all the sails; and until next morning [SATURDAY AUGUST 8], nothing above close-reefed top sails could be carried with safety. At noon, the log gave 162 miles from Funchal; but the cloudy weather did not admit of taking observations.
SUNDAY 9 AUGUST 1801
At daybreak of the 9th the island Palma was in sight, bearing S. 72° E. ten or twelve leagues. Albacores and bonitas now began to make their appearance, and the officers and men were furnished with hooks and lines, and our harpoons and fizgigs were prepared. This day I ordered lime juice and sugar to be mixed with the grog; and they continued to be given daily to every person on board, until within a short time of our arrival at the Cape of Good Hope.
SATURDAY 15 AUGUST 1801
We carried fair, and generally fresh winds, until the 15th in the morning, when St. Antonio, the north-westernmost of the Cape-Verde Islands was in sight. At eight o'clock, the extremes bore N. 69° E. and S. 13° W., and the nearest part was distant four miles; in which situation no bottom could be found at 75 fathoms. A boat was observed near the shore, and our colours were hoisted; but no notice appeared to be taken of the ship.
The north-west side of St. Antonio is four or five leagues in length; and rises abruptly from the sea, to hills which are high enough to be seen fifteen, or more leagues from a ship's deck. These barren hills are intersected by gullies, which bore marks of much water having passed down them. By the side of one of these gullies, which was near the place where we lost sight of the boat, there was a path leading up into the interior of the island. The south-west and south points are low; they lie N. 14° W. and S. 14° E. and are five or six miles asunder. Between them, the land hollows back so as to form somewhat of a bay, which, if it afford good anchorage, as it is said to do, would shelter a ship from all winds between north and east-south-east. We did not observe any beach at the head of the bay, perhaps from having passed at too great a distance.
No observations could be taken for fixing the situation of this island; but in 1795, Mr. Crosley and myself made the high land near the south-west point to lie in 17° 00' north, and by uncorrected lunar observations, in 25° 12' west; which agrees well with the position of the north-west point, as given by captain Vancouver.* The variation from azimuth on the evening of the 14th, before making the land, was 13° 51' west, and 13° 3' this evening, when four leagues to the west of it; the compass being placed on the binnacle, and the ship's head south-south-west (magnetic) in both cases. The true variation here, at this time, I judge to have been 12° 24' west. Captain Vancouver observed 12° 32', in 1791; but it does not appear how the ship's head was directed.
[* Voyage round the World, Vol. I. page 10.]
Some distant land opened from the south point of St. Antonio, at S. 75° E.; which I took to be a part of the island St. Lucia.