BULA11A, BULA at, or I3oco.vm, the most eastern island of the Bijuga Archipelago, on the western coast of Africa, lies in N. Lat. 11° s', and W. Long. 14° 5u'. It is situated on the north Nvest of the embouchure of the Rio Grande, and is separated from the main land on the east by a channel, which forms an excellent and ca pacious harbour about two miles wide, with a good clear bottom, and water sufficient for the largest ships to ride in safety within a cable's length of the shore. The length of this island is about seven leagues, and its breadth varies from two to five.
Bulama rises from the sea with a gentle ascent for the space of two leagues, to a few hills, serving as the basis of some considerable mountains in the centre of the island, which are crowned with woods, and inter spersed with luxuriant tallies. It is enriched tt ith lof ty fruit and forest trees, forming a verdant belt, in some places two or three miles broad, and is intersected by several rivers, which, issuing from the mountains, beau tify and fertilize the country. Whatever is required for the necessaries, the comforts, or even the luxuries of savage life, are here produced in great profusion ; awl, independent of the climate, there are few countries bet ter calculated, both by its situation and productions, for all the purposes of a rich and extensive commerce. Lying in the vicinity of many nal igable rivers, which extend far into the continent, and which would greatly facilitate a trade with the internal parts of A hica ; and possessing- a deep and luxuriant soil, adapted to every species of cultivation, it offers itself as a most desirable settlement to any European nation. Cotton, indigo, cof fee, and rice, are its spontaneous productions ; and pine apples, limes, oranges, grapes, plums, cassada, guar in Indian w heat, melons, pumpkins, tamarinds, bananas, and many delicious fruits, grow here in great abundance. Sugar and tobacco, and indeed all the other productions of our \Vest India islands, may also be cultivated lure in equal perfection ; and, considering the richness of the soil, to much greater advantage.
" The island," says Captain Beaver, ‘• is covered with wood of various sizes and grain ; front that of the majes tic oak, to the most diminutii e shrub ; and from the close texture of the iron wood, to the soft porous grain of the pullam or cotton tree." From these, great advan tages may be derived both in the construction of houses and in the building and repairing of vessels. The ma cheiry, of which the naturalized Portuguese in this part of Africa construct their decks, is very easy to work, is ne ver perforated by wornts, and is deemed preferable to what is generally employed for this purpose. In the marshy spots arc produced a particular species of wood, the inner bark of which is made into a kind of tow which never ruts ; and also a species of reed, from which very good cordage is manufactured by the negroes.
On the southern side of the island are extensive sa vannahs, or natural meadows, well stocked with oxen and wild horses ; and stags, goats, buffaloes, and ele phants, are to be found in great numbers ; while the lion, tiger, jackal, and other beasts of prey, except the hyaena, though natives of the neighbouring continent, are unknown in Bulama. Vast (locks of game are seen all over the island ; and doves, guinea fowls, and various other birds celebrated for the beauty of their plumage, breed undisturbed in the woods. The shores, also, af ford a great variety of fish, particularly plenty of excel lent turtle.
The climate, as must be expected from the latitude of the place, cannot but be insalubrious ; but it might be greatly improved by clearing and cultivating the country. According to Captain Beaver's observations at noon, the thermometer was never lower than and seldom high er than 96°, the medium temperature being A fine s•a-breeze which sets in about mid-day, renders the evenings temperate and pleasant ; and the general dif ference between the temperature of noon and night, is from 20 to 30 degrees. The dew, which begins to fall immediately after sunset, produces a sort of chilliness in the air, which would induce some to put on warmer cloth ing, and even to light a lire in their houses ; and the ab sence of the sun for twelve hours, which gives the earth time to cool, renders the mornings equally agreeable. The rainy season generally begins about the month of June, and continues until the middle of October. Dur ing this period, however, there are often considerable in tervals of clear weather, particularly in the first and last months ; but towards the middle of the season, the rain hulls in perfect torrents. The approach and conclusion of these rains are generally indicated by tornadoes, which arise chiefly in the eastern part or the compass. These, however, arc neither so violent nor so destructive, as those terrible hurricanes which arc so frequently expe rienced in the West Indies. They always give suffi cient warning of their commencement, so that every pre caution may be taken against their influence ; and their usual duration is from one to three hours. Their bene ficial effects arc of the utmost consequence in these countries. They conduce greatly to the salubrity of the climate, by purifying the air, and by dispelling all those deleterious vapours with which it would otherw ise abound. They begin about the middle of May, and arc most frequent in the months of September and October, and cease about the beginning of November. The sea soning fever in Bulama, to which every stranger is sub ject, is much the same as that of the West Indies, though it has been represented by some as much more danger ous and malignant ; and it has even been maintained by a respectable physician,• that the yellow fever was origi nally brought to the West inches from the island of Bu I ama.