sure to the
sun as this occasioned him, had no small share in predisposing him for
the fever that afterwards attacked him.

The cause of so much fever at St. Jago, may be traced to the peculiar
situation of the town, which stands on an elevation between low swampy
grounds, the exhalations from which pass over it as they arise.

There are a great number of horses, horned cattle, goats, pigs, &c.
bred here. There was formerly an extensive traffic in slaves carried on
between these islands and the coast of Africa, which I was informed is
not yet wholly abolished. The best anchorage among the Capede Verds is
at St. Vincent's. What should prevent the Portuguese giving it up to
us, so that we might form an establishment for any ships to call there,
instead of going to St. Jago, where they so often make fever an
accompaniment with their refreshments? His Majesty's ship Tweed,
visited this place on her way to the Cape of Good Hope station, and a
great proportion of the young officers who slept on shore, died within
a fortnight afterwards.

The bay abounds with fine fish, yet there are not many taken, therefore
the town is badly supplied, owing entirely to the indolence of the
inhabitants.

At 5 in the afternoon we made sail out of Porto Praya, leaving it
without regret, except what we felt in parting from the Consul and his
family. There was also a Consul for the United States, but he was not
on friendly terms with Mr. Clark. Their differences, however, were very
soon settled by the great pacificator, death, for they were not long
after interred near each other in the fort. Visiting the Portuguese was
quite out of the question, as very few of them had the power of
entertaining strangers, excepting one old woman known by the name of
English Mary, and she was well paid for her civilities. She could give
you a sort of dinner with bad wine, bad spirits, and fruit. You could
also get your things badly washed here, that is, wetted and well beaten
for money. The Portuguese troops vary from black to white, with all the
intermediate shades, in ragged party-coloured clothing: but a truce
with the Colonial Portuguese:--I am now bound to an English colony,
where I fear I shall not find every thing as it ought to be, and that
is Sierra Leone, which bears from Porto Praya about S.E. by E. 1/2 E.
720 miles.

P.S. The port charges at St. Jago are not heavy, as they do not exceed
sixteen dollars for a vessel of any size or nation.

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