Page:A Voyage of Discovery and Research in the Southern and Antarctic Regions Vol 1.djvu/77

], render the path of the ship through the waters on a dark night surprisingly brilliant.

On the 13th St. Jago Island was seen, and the next morning, at ten o'clock, we anchored in Port Praya.

By permission of the Governor we landed our tents and instruments on Quail Island, and our observations were immediately commenced. The island, being of volcanic origin, is by no means a desirable position for magnetic determinations; but we had by this time learned to place more reliance on those taken on board our ships than on any made on shore, even under the most favourable circumstances. Our observations were here confined to the rating of our chronometers, and the spot selected for this purpose is close to a small beach on the west side of the island, and quite convenient to the anchorage.

Some of our officers, whose time and duties admitted of their making excursions to a distance from the shore, described the country, particularly the valley of St. Domingo, where was the ancient capital of the islands, as far more beautiful and fertile than they could have supposed from the desolate aspect its coasts present. Not far from the town we saw a fine specimen of the giant tropical tree of Africa, the Baobab (Adansonia digitata): its short, pear-shaped trunk, not more than ten feet high, exceeded thirty-eight feet in circumference, and at this period its fruit was forming.

The heat was most oppressive, and the sickly