The good people of Santa Cruz tell some
stories of the wonderful extent of space to be seen from the summit
of it, that would not disgrace the memoirs of the ever-memorable Baron
Munchausen.
On the 18th of June we saw the most northerly of the Cape de Verd
Islands, at which time the Commodore gave the fleet to understand, by
signal, that his intention was to touch at some of them. The following
day we made St. Jago, and stood in to gain an anchorage in Port Praya
Bay. But the baffling winds and lee current rendering it a matter of
doubt whether or not the ships would be able to fetch, the signal for
anchoring was hauled down, and the fleet bore up before the wind. In
passing along them we were enabled to ascertain the south end of the
Isle of Sal to be in 16 deg 40 min north latitude, and 23 deg 5 min west
longitude. The south end of Bonavista to be in 15 deg 57 min north, 23
deg 8 min west. The south end of the Isle of May in 15 deg 11 min north,
23 deg 26 min west; and the longitude of the fort, in the town of Port
Praya, to be 23 deg 36 1/2 min west of Greenwich.
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