She being in-shore, we steered such a course as, in our calculation, must have cut her off, but we shortly discovered breakers on the beach, and no sail. _El Liberal_ being the only vessel there, we stood out to sea again in hopes of cutting _Dulcinea_ off to the south-east, as after dark she must have bore up and run along the beach to leeward. [Sidenote: Jan. 18.] The following day, at noon, we gave it up, and made sail for Quitta, to see what news my new acquaintance “Mr. Thomson” might have obtained. [Sidenote: Jan. 19.] Next day, at noon, when steering towards Quitta, the weather hazy, sail was seen on the weather bow, and we went in chase. We soon discovered her to be a man-of-war brigantine, and it was not, owing to the haze, until after we had pitched a shot somewhere near her that she discovered us, when we exchanged numbers with _Dolphin_; she is the nicest-looking vessel we have seen, and appears in very good order. She had been about eighteen months in commission, and had captured 16,000 slaves--nine different vessels. But all the officers, with the exception of the clerk-in-charge, and most of the crew had fallen victims to the climate. Every one of her prizes had been taken by falling upon them accidentally. It took us the remainder of the afternoon to supply _Dolphin_ with provisions. Just as we had finished, a small schooner was running past, and, although we had our heads in the direction to cut her off, she did not seem inclined either to shorten sail or show colours. I directed a shot to be fired across her bows, which happened to fall within a few yards of her; down came her sails. It was the Portuguese schooner, _San Igual_, 87 tons, mounting two long nines, carrying 24 men. The master, José Ferreira, with the usual cargo of cloth and tobacco; only thirty-three days from the Havana. She had been boarded by the _Hyacinth_. _Dolphin_ parted for Prince’s Island and we for Quitta, where we got water, not particularly good. [Sidenote: Jan. 20.] In the evening observed the vessels at anchor in Whydah Roads. Whydah was formerly famous for slaves, but owing to the great Fernandez not being so active as he used to be, the slave captains prefer Lagos. [Sidenote: Jan. 22.] We found the _Espartante_, a fine Brazilian brig, 250 tons, a crew of 17, mounting two long 12-pounders, belonging to Bahia; the _Julia_, a Portuguese brig, Don Antonio Lavandeira, 94 tons, fitted for the slave trade; and the _Feliceades_, Don José Iguanoda Costa, a fine brig, 176 tons, carrying 18 men, with two 12-pounders. She was flying Portuguese colours, and fitted for slaves. Finding nothing on which I could lay hands, ran to the limits of my station and commenced working to windward, to try our luck about forty miles off-shore. [Sidenote: Jan. 26.] Having got as far as Cape St. Paul’s, went on to Accra, the only civilised place. Sent the pinnace to reconnoitre, and the cutter to Occo, another likely place. [Sidenote: Jan. 29.]