The object for which we endeavoured to get into this bay, was,
a supply of fresh vegetables for the ships companies and
convicts, an article with which we had been but scantily provided
at Teneriffe. Port Praya Bay, on the island of Saint Jago, is
situated in latitude 14° 54' north, and longitude 23° 37'
west. This was about noon of the 20th of June, and we took our
leave of these islands, and steered to the southward, intending
to cross the equator, if possible, two or three° to the
eastward of the meridian of Saint Jago.

We had a fresh gale from the north-east until we were in the
latitude of 10° 30' north; the north-east trade now became
faint and variable, and in 9° 30' north we had frequent
calms, with dark cloudy weather, and heavy showers of rain;
squalls were seen now rising from every part of the horizon, and
appeared to threaten much wind, but they seldom contained any
thing but torrents of rain; the breezes, which were very light,
and were generally from the southward, very much retarded our
progress towards the line. In latitude 8° 30' north, the wind
fixed in the south-west quarter (rather an extraordinary
circumstance in these latitudes) and blew a fresh gale, with
which we stood to the eastward; but as it was generally far
southerly, we were soon in longitude 18° 26' west, by the
time-piece, on which we had more reliance than on the dead
reckoning, for here we found a current setting considerably
strong to the eastward; our lunar observations, which we never
failed to make at every opportunity, constantly confirmed the
truth of the watch.

Finding no prospect of a change of wind by continuing to stand