indeed, any kind of vegetation. The water, too, is bad, and all
supplies for passing steamers are brought from the other islands, at
very uncertain intervals. It is still a great coaling-station, though
not so much used as it was formerly, before the opening of the Suez
Canal. The ships come out with coal, and go away in ballast (there is
nothing else to be had here), procured from a point near the town, to
Rio or elsewhere, where they pick up their homeward cargo of fruit,
&c.

The absence of twilight in these latitudes, both at dawn and sunset,
is certainly very remarkable. This morning, at four o'clock, the stars
were shining brightly; ten minutes later the day had commenced to
break; and at half-past four the sun had risen above the horizon, and
was gilding the surrounding mountain tops.

_Sunday, July 30th_.--About 10 a.m. we were off Tarafal Bay--a most
hopeless-looking place for supplies. High rocky mountains, sandy
slopes, and black volcanic beach, composed a scene of arid desolation,
in the midst of which was situated one small white house, with four
windows and a thatched roof, surrounded by a little green patch of
sugar-canes and cocoa-nut palms.

But the result proved the sageness of the advice contained in the old
proverb, not to trust to appearances only; for, whilst we were at
breakfast, Mr. Martinez, the son of the owner of the one whitewashed
cottage to be seen, came on board. To our surprise, he spoke English
extremely well, and promised us all sorts of supplies, if we could
wait until three o'clock in the afternoon. Having agreed to do this,
we shortly afterwards went ashore in his boat, with a crew of more
than half-naked negroes, and a hot row of about three miles brought us