y much pleased with our excursion: I
regretted much, that the time proposed for settling our business
here, would not admit of a visit to the Peak, a mountain so much
spoken of by all who have visited this island, for its wonderful
height.

The bay of Santa Cruz is defended by many small batteries of
four or five guns each, which are placed at certain distances
from each other, round the bay, and close to the water-side,
which exposes them much to the annoyance of ships; but their
principal fort is near the landing place, and is a strong work,
but the water being deep very near in, they are all exposed to
the attack of ships: on the whole, it is said, they mount near
one hundred pieces of cannon.

The town of Santa Cruz is very irregularly built; the
principal street is broad, and has more the appearance of a
square than a street; the governor's house stands at the upper
end; it is but a mean looking building, and has more the
appearance of a country inn, than the palace of a governor: at
the lower end of the street there is a square monument,
commemorating the appearance of Notre Dame to the Guanches, the
original inhabitants of the island. The out-skirts of the town
have more the appearance of a place deserted and in ruins, than a
place of trade, for many of the houses there are either left half
built, or have fallen to decay from some other cause, and the
stone walls, which were their principal fences, are broken down
and in ruins.

On the ninth of June, in the afternoon, the transports having
completed their watering, the signal was made from the Sirius for
every person of our fleet to repair immediately on board their
respective ships, and on the 10th, in the morning, we put to sea
with a light air of wind from the land.

The island of Teneriffe is situated in latitude as observed in
the road, 28 deg. 29' 5" north, and longitude, determined by the
time-keeper, 16 deg. 18' 00" west.

We steered to the south-west until we were near the meridian
of the island of Sal, the northernmost of the Cape De Verde
Islands, and then shaped our course so as to fall in a little to
the eastward of it. At 10 in the evening of the 18th, being at no
great distance from the island, we made the signal for the convoy
to shorten sail, the distance not being sufficient to admit of
our carrying sail all night; at nine the next morning we saw the
island bearing north-west by north, distant four leagues: I make
the latitude of the n