will penetrate up the river even as far as Lever, at the time of year in which the Landers came down, and will defy the efforts of these monopolists to arrest their progress.  The steam engine, the greatest invention of the human mind, will be a fit means of conveying civilization amongst the uninformed Africans, who, incapable of comprehending such a thing, will view its arrival amongst them with astonishment and terror, and will gradually learn to appreciate the benefits they will derive, and to hail its arrival with joy.  In this case, Fernando Po will become of still greater consequence, and will no doubt be a depot of considerable importance.  It was, however, the opinion of Richard Lander, that much expense would be saved, and above all, many valuable lives, if it were possible to adopt George’s Bay, as the place for the principal establishment.  Of the different parts of the coast, Accra is the most healthy, and were it nearer, Lander would recommend it for such a purpose, the soil being good and clear of underwood for many miles round.  But the distance at which it lies from the mouth of the river is too great for such a purpose.

On the 23rd December, Mr. Becroft, the superintendent, invited Richard Lander to accompany him in the Portia, to the Calebar River, whither he was going to procure stock for the use of the colony.  The place from which this is obtained, is called Ephraim Town, where it appears to be very plentiful.  Being tired of Fernando Po, Lander accepted his invitation, in order to pass away the time that they would still have to wait before they could get away, notwithstanding all their anxiety to reach home with the news of their discovery.  John Lander, being very ill, was unable to accompany them.  Richard, therefore, left him at Clarence, and embarked with Mr. Becroft in the evening.  They departed from Clarence with a fine breeze, but found it necessary in going out, to be particularly careful of being drifted by the tide, either on Point William, or on the Adelaide islets at each extremity of the cove, as the tide always sets either towards the one or the other.  In leaving the cove, it is best to keep, as near as possible, midway between the two extremes, and not to approach either the one or the other, nearer than can be possibly avoided.  The currents in the Gulf of Guinea are stated to be very variable, although they are most generally from the westward, obeying the direction of the sea breeze.  The harmattan generally produces a very strong westerly current in direct opposition to this, and the want of knowing it, has frequently proved fatal to vessels; the masters of which, imagining that they were under the influence of an easterly current, have been actually drifted many miles to the westward in the course of a single night, and have found themselves on shore the next morning; the violence of the current from the westward when the sea breezes are strong, is so great, that it is scarcely possible to believe, that a day or two of the harmattan would