St. Jago. He is a very civil and sensible poor man; and they are
generally a good sort of people. He expects a small present from every
commander that lades salt here; and is glad to be invited aboard their
ships. He spends most of his time with the English in the salting season,
which is his harvest; and indeed, all the islanders are then fully
employed in getting somewhat; for they have no vessels of their own to
trade with, nor do any Portuguese vessels come hither: scarce any but
English, on whom they depend for trade: and though subjects of Portugal,
have a particular value for us. We don't pay them for their salt, but for
the labour of themselves and their beasts in lading it: for which we give
them victuals, some money, and old clothes, namely hats, shirts, and
other clothes: by which means many of them are indifferently well rigged;
but some of them go almost naked. When the turtle season comes in they
watch the sandy bays in the night to turn them; and having small huts at
particular places on the bays to keep them from the rain, and to sleep
in: and this is another harvest they have for food; for by report there
come a great many turtle to this and the rest of the Cape Verde Islands.
When the turtle season is over they have little to do but to hunt for
guinea-hens and manage their small plantations. But by these means they
have all the year some employment or other; whereby they get a
subsistence though but little else. When any of them are desirous to go
over to St. Jago they get a licence from the governor and desire passage
in any English ship that is going thither: and indeed all ships that lade
salt here will be obliged to touch at St. Jago for water, for here at the
bay is none, not so much as for drinking. It is true there is a small
well of brackish water not half a mile from the landing-place which the
asses that carry salt drink at; but it is very bad water. Asses
themselves are a commodity in some of these islands, several of our ships
coming hither purposely to freight with them and carry them to Barbados
and our other plantations. I stayed at Mayo 6 days and got 7 or 8 ton of