Volume 1

A new general collection of voyages and travels. Consisting of the most esteemed relations, which have been hitherto published in any language; comprehending everything remarkable in its kind, in Europe, Asia, Africa, and America.

Date:: 1745-1747

Credit: A new general collection of voyages and travels. Consisting of the most esteemed relations, which have been hitherto published in any language; comprehending everything remarkable in its kind, in Europe, Asia, Africa, and America. Source: Wellcome Collection.

712/764 (page 660)

$St. Felipe. December, and ‘January, and then it is not fo fafe cr i-'.iep.o. jjjjng as about the Tandy Point of Noffa Singora, which is to the Southward of the Town; to the Southward of which, on the Cliff, ftands the Church of Noffa Singora: From whence the Bay and Point took their Name a. This Church ap¬ pears fomewhat like a Barn : The Outfide of the Walls were feemingly as white as if they had t>een juft white-wafhed ; and the Roof was co¬ vered with red Pantiles, as are alfo Tome of the Houfes of the Villa b. NoiFaSin- At the Noffa Singore Point, there is good Ri- goie R.ja. (];ng with a Northerly Wind; and better, when the true North-Eaft, or North-Eaft by North Trade-Winds blow, being clean and Tandy at Bottom, except when a Southerly Wind blows ftrong ; or fometimes by a Southerly Sea, which now and then runs here in the Months of June, July, AuguJl, and September, when thefe Winds do not reach home to the Illand ; although our Author believes they blow in the Offing, and clear the Sand from the Bottom of the Rocks, as the Northerly Wind and Sea do at Fonte de Villa c. One may anchor in both thefe Roads, from fourteen to ten Fathom Water, in clean Tandy Ground, except in the Cafes before-mentioned. More Southerly there is a little Tandy Bay, about a fmall Point of low, broken Rocks d ; and right againft a Gully made by the Water, running down in the Time of the Rains. Here is fmooth Riding, as well as Landing, the Surf running but little: Befides, you haveWater pretty near, which you have not at the other two Places; where alfo theSea generally runs with a great Swell on the Shore. You muft anchor right off the Gully, having it fair open ; for if you fhut it either to the Northward or Southward, and anchor fo, you will have foul Ground ; neither is there room for above two Ships to anchor there at once S.agfcate This Place we take to be Laghate, as well Bay. from Circumftances as the Account given there¬ of elfewhere by Roberts, who fays it is a little Tandy Bay, where one may put a Boat to the Beach and wade afhore ; on which little or no Surf runs, the Sea being very fmooth. To the Windward lies a little Point of Rocks, which made the Bay very fmooth, the Trade-Wind very feldom reaching down fofar; it being moft- ly calm, except from about four injhe Afternoon, a little fooner or later ; at which Time it would St. Felipe, blow a faint Southerly or South-Weft Breeze, till or Fueg0- fix or feven at Night, and then fall calm again,' till about one or two in the Morning; when a light Breeze would rife, or Air of Southerly Wind ; but without ever affecting the Sea f. Most of the Whites, with the Governor,7ie v*ll3, live in the Villa-, though mod of them have their^^ Country-Houfes abroad in the Country, on that Part of their Eftates which they keep in their b own Hands, and manage by their Slaves, which fupplies them with Food ; and the Rents of thofe Plantations, which they let to the Blacks, are commonly paid in Cotton-Cloths: And fince their Cotton-Shrubs were dried-up, and for the moft Part perifhed, the Owners were forced to fill thofe Plantations with Hogs, Fowls, or what other Animals the Blacks could raife g. The Governor of St. Philip’s was a Portu- gueze, and formerly had been Governor (or as c they call him Captain More) of a Fort or Facto¬ ry belonging to the King of Portugal, on the Coaft of Guinea h. Captain ROBERTS gives nodiftin& Ac¬ count of this Villa, or Town (near the Bay of Fonte de Villa) its Situation or Name1; and though in his Voyage, he fays there is a Fortification on the Bland k, yet he mentions none in his Defcription. It is probable however, that this Place is the fame, Dapper takes Notice of in his Defcription d of Africa, where it is faid, that on the Weft Side of the Bland, there is a Road, with a Caftle^Ca/i, adjoining, built at the Foot of a Mountain; but that the Haven is not convenient, by reafon of the ftrong Current before it: That thofe who fail out of the Eaft for this Harbour, muft make to the Northward about the Country, or they will fcarce fetch it; for that not only the Wind blows very hard, but the Ground is deep and runs down Hoping; fo that none can be had but un- e der the Caftle *. The Bland of St. Philip, or Fuego, was ta¬ ken by Sir Anthony Sherley, in September, 1596, who was a good while finding a proper Place to put-in at, and then could not land his Men without extream Difficulty. The Author of the Voyage obferves, that befides Water, they got nothing elfe here but Infe&ion m. a Roberts's Voyages, p. 421. b Ibid. p. 294. c Ibid. p. 421. d This feems, from the Author’s Courfe along the Coaft bef. re-related, and other Circumftances, to be the fame Bay with Laghate, mentioned a little above; although the Author (who is not the moft accurate) by omitting the Name here, gives Room to imagine it to be a different Place. e Idem, ibid. { Roberts's Voyages, p. 295, tff feq. g Ibid. p. 421, & feq. h Ibid. p. 295. ‘ In his Defcription of St. John's, he calls it the Villa of St. Philip. k P. 388. See alfo before, p. 631.fi 1 See Dapper's Defcrip¬ tion of Africa, tranilated by Ogleby, p. 729. ™ See Hakluyt, vol. 3. p. 600, S E C To$