At Arguin, Which Is Inhabited By Moors And
Negroes, And Which Is Situated On The Confines Between These Two Nations,
There Is A Capacious Harbour, And A Castle Belonging To Our King Of
Portugal, In Which Some Portuguese Always Reside With The Royal Agent.
On leaving the island of Sal, our ships steer next for St Jago, another
of the Cape Verd islands.
This island is situated in _fifteen degrees on
the equinoctial and thirty leagues towards the south_[3].It is seventeen
leagues long, and has a city on the coast, with a good harbour called
_Ribiera Grande_, or the Great River, now St Jago. From two high
mountains, one on each side, a large river of fresh water flows into the
harbour; and, from its source, full two leagues above the city, its banks
are lined on each side with gardens, having fine groves of oranges,
cedars, pomegranates, several sorts of figs, and the cocoa-nut palm,
which has been long planted on this island. It produces all kinds of
vegetables in great abundance and perfection; but they do not afford good
seeds, so that it is necessary to procure these every year from Europe.
The city is on the south coast of the island, and is well built of stone,
being inhabited by about 500 families of distinction, Portuguese and
Castilians. Its government is entrusted to a corregidor or governor,
appointed by the king of Portugal; and two judges are chosen annually,
one for the determination of naval and maritime causes, and the other for
regulating the police.
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