bar, but being late they did not go in.  There is to the eastward of this river a date tree, higher than all the other trees thereabouts.  Thus we went along the coast, anchoring every night, and all the shore was full of trees and thick woods.  The morning of the 6th was very foggy, so that we could not see the land; but it cleared up about three in the afternoon, when we found ourselves off the river Jaya; and finding the water very shallow, we bore a little out to seawards as we had done in the former voyage, and came to anchor in five fathoms.  We set sail again next day, and came about noon abreast the river of Benin, where we anchored in four fathoms.

The 10th our captain went to land with the boat at 2 P.M.  All this week it was very foggy every day till 10 o’clock A.M. and hitherto the weather had been as temperate as our summer in England.  This day we anchored in the road in 4 fathoms, the west point bearing from us E.N.E.  The 21st, being a fair temperate day, Mr Hassald went up to the town of Gato to hear news of our captain.  The 23d came the caravel[319] in which was Samuel, bringing 63 elephants teeth and three bullocks.  The 28th was a fair temperate day, but towards night we had much rain with thunder and lightning.  This day our boat came on board from Gato.  The 24th February, we took in 298 serons or bags of pepper, and 4 elephants teeth.  The 26th we put the rest of our goods on board the caravel, in which Mr Hassald went up to Gato.  The 5th March the caravel came again, bringing 21 serons of pepper and 4 elephants teeth.  The 9th April our caravel came again on board with water for our return voyage, and this day we lost our shallop or small boat.  The 17th was a hazy and rainy day, and in the afternoon we saw three great water spouts, two to larboard and one right a-head, but by the blessing of God they came not to our ship.  This day we took in the last of our water for sea store, and on the 26th we victualled our caravel to accompany us.  The 27th we set sail on our voyage homewards.

[Footnote 319:  It is not mentioned how they came by this caravel.—­Astl.  I. 204. b.  Probably the pinnace that attended them in the voyage, for the purpose of going up the shallow rivers.—­E.]

The 24th May we were 37 leagues south of Cape Palmas.  The 1st July we got sight of Brava, one of the Cape Verd islands, bearing east 7 leagues off.  The 13th August we spoke the queens ship, of which Lord Howard was admiral and Sir Richard Grenville vice-admiral.  They made us keep company till the night of the 15th, lying all the time a hull in waiting for prizes, 30 leagues S.W. from the island of Flores.  That night we got leave to depart, accompanied by a fliboat laden with sugar from the island of San Thome which had been taken by the queens ship, and of which my lord admiral gave me strict charge not to part with her till safe harboured in England.  The 23d the N.E. part of the island of Corvo bore from us E. by S.