from
the time when we came into the true tradewind again after crossing the
Line, very fair weather and brisk gales, mostly at east-north-east. The
land we saw was about 20 leagues to the north of Bahia; so I coasted
alongshore to the southward. This coast is rather low than high, with
sandy bays all along by the sea.

OF THE SEVERAL FORTS, THE ROAD, SITUATION, TOWN, AND BUILDINGS OF BAHIA.

A little within land are many very white spots of sand appearing like
snow; and the coast looks very pleasant, being chequered with woods and
savannahs. The trees in general are not tall; but they are green and
flourishing. There are many small houses by the seaside, whose
inhabitants are chiefly fishermen. They come off to sea on bark logs,
made of several logs fastened side to side, that have one or two masts
with sails to them. There are two men in each bark log, one at either
end, having small low benches, raised a little above the logs, to sit and
fish on, and two baskets hanging up at the mast or masts; one to put
their provisions in, the other for their fish. Many of these were
a-fishing now, and 2 of them came aboard, of whom I bought some fish. In
the afternoon we sailed by one very remarkable piece of land where, on a
small pleasant hill, there was a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary. See
a sight of some parts of this coast and of the hill the church stands on.

I coasted along till the evening and then brought to, and lay by till the
next morning. About 2 hours after we were brought to, there came a sail
out of the offing (from seaward) and lay by about a mile to windward of
us and so lay all night. In the morning upon speaking with her she proved
to be a Portuguese ship bound to Bahia; therefore I sent my boat aboard
and desired to have one of his mates to pilot me in: he answered that he
had not a mate capable of it, but that he would sail in before me, and
show me the way; and that if he went into the harbour in the night he
would hang out a light for me. He said we had not far in, and might reach
it before night with a tolerable gale; but that with so small an one as
now we had we could not do it: so we jogged on till night and then he
accordingly hung out his light, which we steered after, sounding as we
went in. I kept all my men on deck and had an anchor ready to let go on
occasion. We had the tide of ebb against us, so that we went in but
slowly; and it was about the middle of the night when we anchored.
Imme