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Oct 1st. Saw several flying fish, they when alarmed or pursued rise from the Water, about 3 or 4 feet from the surface, & fly along, keeping a horizontal line for a considerable distce. and at last strike a wave higher than the rest they disappear - they have much the appearance of swallows, while in their flight - a few birds about us - Sunday 3rd - Sighted two of the Cape Verde Islands early in the morng., passed betw. them during the forenoon - they are called St Vincent & St Antonio - the pass between I(?) should imagine to be about 12 to 13 miles wide & some considerable length - It was a most beautiful day - Sun very bright & warm - a most magnificent sight - far surpassing anything I have ever seen   - we passed within 2 to 3 miles of St Vincent - the rapidly changing scenery resembled a (?) morning panorama - its sides were formed by lofty rugged rock, with numberless bays, capes, etc, etc at one time we would be close to & our view limited by a lofty projectg. mass of dark rock {in deep shade} in a few minutes we would open a green (?) vale sloping up(?) on both sides & in the background to the tops of the mountains - many of which rising quite  into the clouds - which has a most singular effect -{the water running down many places in small streams forming beautiful little waterfalls} -Our view was at one time limited as just described, when in a few minutes, as if by magic - we opened a most beautiful bay, containg. many vessels at anchor {The E. Ensign was discerned at the peak of some} The shore was low round it, a town on one side, while the sides & (?) ground sloped gradually up to the mountains - on one part of the low shore a vessel laid stranded - it was a most beautiful picturesque scene - you can have no idea of its beauty - great masses of light & shade in the foreground - formed by the rugged perpendicular rocks forming its entrance - while in the middle of the entrance was an immense island of rock rising to a great height - on the top of which were the habitats of many eagles - some of which were hovering about its summit - Endeavoured to get some sketches but we were going too fast - St Antonio presented a very different appearance - the shore being low & flat throughout - sloping very gradually back up to the mountains - No trees are seen in either these islands - about 1300 people died from want of water a few years ago - no rain for 3 years - Saw an immense shoal of herrings - the water was quite dark compared with the other parts for a great distce. round.

St Antonio

Have added a couple of sketches but they of course can only give us an idea of the relative position of some of the principal parts.

Porte Grande             St Vincent         Bird Isle     1 town       2 ship stranded

Wedsy. 6th Oct   Heavy(?) squall in the previous night the vessel was thrown over a great deal, etc,etc -  in consequence a strange and unstable hissing noise was heard in the opposite cabin - for the greater portion of us were aroused by the leak(?) and the rattling of the pots, pans etc, etc. -  upon enquiry  it turned out to be one of the mess {R. Sothern} filling his life belt - you can imagine the scene that followed - Saw vessel to windward homeward bound - passed near. Exchanged signals - it proved to be the "Kegderes"(?) thought to be from Calcatta [Calcutta] Fri 8th - nearg. the line - E. Sothern another of our mess had it pointed out to him {a dark (?) of water ahead} which he believed - Weather getting dreadfully hot - many sleep on deck at night - Sleepg. below is terribly uncomfortable from the excessive heat. Sunday 10th A large vessel some distce. ahead & we came up with her - proved to be the Änglesea" a crack ship of Green's sailed from London a fortnight before us - she is one of the finest & fastest of her class - Emigrants for P. Phillip - had a fair  (?) of speed

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