iic^ 



1917] The Ottawa Naturalist. 61 



lying in St. Katherins Docks and for which said berth I paid 35 

 guineas. Accordingly on Good Friday, 28th March, we left the City 

 and were towed down the River by two steamers as far as the Hope 

 where we cast anchor for the night. 



We had rather boisterous and contrary winds for two days in 

 passing the Downs, which helped to break me in a little for the se l, 

 and I suffered in common with the rest of the passengers, the greater 

 part never having been to sea before. 



We touched at Portsmouth on the 31st and arrived at Plymouth 

 in the evening of the same day. We stayed all night here and departed 

 on the next day about 12, the wind being quite favorable. 



About ten miles from land a little bird called the Titlark came 

 flying around the ship. I saw a great man}' white gulls and several ! 

 species of divers. On the 2nd April we met the Lady Melville, Past 

 Indiaman, returning home. We passed within a quarter of a mile 

 of the Eddystone Lighthouse and the same evening after running by 

 the Lizard at the rate of ten knot- an hour we bade farewell to Old 

 England, upon whose weather beaten cliffs 1 stood gazing with a hist 

 lingering look until they dis; d in the distam 



We now had for several daws a most favorable bn I iefry 



going at the rate of ( > or 10 knots an hour, which is considered \ 



d tiling. On the 7th a couple of Martins came to the ship and 

 sjettled on the rigging. I lyed some time with us and left during 



night. Thi idently on their route to some northern clime. 



( >n the ( >th we spoke the Brig Merope, of Poole, bound for Quebec. 



On the 10th we met with three of those magnificent though 

 dangerous piece- of ice called i ;. Two we saw in the morning. 



one of which was verj similar in shape to Westminster Abbey, though 

 far ling it in magnitude. The other we passed about ten o'clock 



at night, Lat. 44-6, Lon. 44-28. They are beautful in the extreme 

 when the sun is shining on them giving them most splendid col 

 such as would defy all the powers of art to imitate, tints of the richest 

 blue and green contrasted with the purest white. I was much gratii 

 at the sight. They have a very great infl on the atmosphere in 



their immediate neighborhood, causing a great degree of coldness, as 

 was sufficiently proved in this instance by the thermometer falling 6. 

 It is from this fact that navigators are able to judge of their vicinity in 

 thick cloudy or foggy weather. 



Up to this time the wind was very favorable, so much so that if 

 it had only continued for four days more we should have been at New 

 York and should have made the quickest passage ever known. We 

 should have made it in thirteen days. We were all now in the highest 

 glee, looking forward to the speedy termination of our voyage and 

 discomforts but alas*! all our hopes and prospects were suddenly 

 overturned. We were not destined to be so lucky as to make our way 





