s even as if it had been clipt by gardeners
sheers. After running 2 leagues, we saw a high tuft of trees on a brow
of land like the head of a porpoise. A league farther on we had a very
low head land full of trees; and a great way from the land we had very
shallow water, on which we hauled off to seaward to get deeper water,
and then anchored in 5 fathoms, athwart the mouth of the river _Jayo_.
The 12th we sent the pinnace and the boat to land with the merchants,
and they did not return till next morning. The shallowest part of this
river is toward the west, where there is only 4-1/2 fathoms, and it is
very broad.

[Footnote 310: Rio de Lagoa--_Hakluyt_.--Probably that now called Lagos,
in long. 2 deg. 40' E. from Greenwich, in the Bight of Benin.--E.]

Thursday the 13th we set sail going S.S.E. along shore, the trees being
wonderfully even, the east shore being higher than the west shore[311].
After sailing 18 leagues we had sight of a great river, called Rio de
Benin, off which we anchored in 3-1/2 fathoms, the sea being here very
shallow two leagues from the main[312]. The 15th we sent the pinnace and
boat with the merchants into the river; and as we rode in shallow water,
we made sail with the starboard tacks aboard till we came to 5 fathoms
water, where we anchored having the current to the westwards. The west
part of the land was high-browed, much like the head of a Gurnard, and
the eastermost land was lower, having three tufts of trees like stacks
of corn. Next day we only saw two of these trees, having removed more to
the eastwards. We rode here from the 14th of February till the 14th of
April, having the wind always at S.W.

[Footnote 311: This is only to be understood as implying that the shore
was now higher in the eastern part of the voyage along the coast, than
formerly to the west on the coast of Mina; the east shore and the west
shore referring to the bight or bay of Benin.--E.]

[Footnote 312: It is probable that the two rivers mentioned in the text
under the names of Rio de Lagoa and Rio de Benin, are those now called
the Lagos creek and the great river Formosa, both in the negro kingdom
of Benin.--E.]

The 17th February our merchants weighed their goods and put them aboard
the pinnace to go into the river, on which day there came a great
current out of the river setting to the westwards. The 16th March our
pinnace came on board with Anthony Ingram the chief factor, bringing 94
bags of pepper and 2