Twelve o’clock. From N.N.W. and N.W. by W. to N.W. The shores are no longer mixed with sand, although there are lower imbenchings and aggregations: on the left, a pastoral village, where we see, as usual, a crowd of negroes. At half-past twelve o’clock, N.N.W.: we halt at the right shore. They bring me small tubers, similar to potatoes, and eaten like them; opposite to us a pastoral village. We bear off again at a quarter before one o’clock. At one, from N. to N.W.: on the left, a village with old tokuls. A very long watercourse lies before us, and at the end of it, at two o’clock, a pastoral village, in the form of an arch, and extending to some distance. We double a short corner on the right, N.E. by N., near which we are regularly fixed, owing to the strong north wind, which blows the spray like drizzling rain. Thermometer, before sunrise 23°; noon 28°; now, at two o’clock, 25°. At four o’clock we leave this promontory, the wind having died away, and go N.N.E. and N. At a quarter before five the wind gets up afresh; we go N.W. to the right shore, where we shall remain perhaps the night. Thermometer, at four o’clock 25°, sunset 24°, at eight o’clock 22°. _18th February._ Yesterday evening lightning, which seemed to proceed from distant regions. We might perhaps have heard the thunder, had not the everlasting noise, which, day and night, stuns us in the vessels, prevented us. The sky is quite clouded over, yet the sun penetrates through. I had scarcely stood ten minutes at the door of our cabin, before my clothes were quite damp, although no mist had visibly fallen. We find here many of the before-mentioned potato-like tubers, the foliage and tendrils being like those of strawberries, but the leaf is not so rough. The tubers, which are yet small, are level with the ground, like those I had seen before, and I planted some specimens in sand. A quarter after six o’clock we bore off to N.E. to the great vexation of the crew, who were obliged to leave unslaughtered on the shore three beautiful oxen; then with a short bend to S.E. by W. and immediately W.N.W. On the left a pastoral village with lowing cattle, and before us a forest, veiled by a blue vapour, moves from the right side into the monotonous landscape. In the bend again to N.E. and N.N.E., where on the left is a pastoral village, but without herds. I cannot imagine when the natives drive their cattle in and out; for I have at all times of the day seen the beasts tied up in the open air, near the villages, and I have never noticed any fodder. Our presence and their curiosity makes them, perhaps, careless in attending to them. Half-past seven o’clock. N.N.W., and with a short course to E.N.E, where, on the left, a pastoral village lies behind the shore; then we turn sharply to N.W., where, on the left, another pastoral village appears; at this we wind to N.N.W. We have a gentle south-east wind, and are afraid of rain.