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
salt aboard for my voyage: in which time there came also into this road
several sail of merchants ships for salt; all bound with it for
Newfoundland.

THE AUTHOR'S ARRIVAL AT ST. JAGO; PRAYA AND ST. JAGO TOWN.

The 19th day of February, at about one o'clock in the morning, I weighed
from Mayo Road in order to water at St. Jago, which was about 5 or 6
leagues to the westward. We coasted along the island St. Jago and passed
by the port on the east of it I mentioned formerly which they call Praya;
where some English outward-bound East-Indiamen still touch, but not so
many of them as heretofore. We saw the fort upon the hill, the houses and
coconut-trees: but I would not go in to anchor here because I expected
better water on the south-west of the island at St. Jago Town. By eight
o'clock in the morning we saw the ships in that road, being within 3
leagues of it: but were forced to keep turning many hours to get in, the
flaws of wind coming so uncertain; as they do especially to the leeward
of islands that are high land. At length two Portuguese boats came off to
help tow us in; and about three o'clock in the afternoon we came to an
anchor and took the prospect of the town. We found here, besides two
Portuguese ships bound for Brazil whose boats had towed us in, an English
pink that had taken in asses at o