^6 Voyage of the Novara. 



conspicuous by a covering of white linen cloth, or some such 

 material, wanders hither and thither with the current, until it 

 is picked up by some other ship, or is stranded anywhere on 

 terra flrma. The fact of such a bottle having been picked up 

 is usually published, together with the particulars enclosed, by 

 means of which it is obvious that an estimate can be formed 

 of the average strength and direction of the current. 



At 1 P.M. each afternoon, it was our custom to despatch 

 one of these ocean-posts, under given conditions ; but only 

 rarely did we afterwards receive any information with respect 

 to them. In each bottle was placed a card with the following 

 particulars, written in German, English, French, Italian, and 

 Spanish : — 



*' H.I.M. frigate, Novara, such and such a day of the week 

 and month, hour at which thrown overboard. Longitude from 

 Greenwich, Latitude. Whoever finds this bottle, which is 

 about being thrown overboard well-corked and in good order, 

 is requested to forward for publication, to the nearest spot at 

 which there is a newspaper, the day, hour, latitude and longi- 

 tude, in which the bottle has been found, together with the par- 

 ticulars of a similar nature already enclosed.'* 



On the 7th June, towards evening, we were not more than 

 55 nautical miles distant from the E. point of Madeira, and 

 as the wind was favourable and pretty fresh, it became neces- 

 sary to shorten sail, so as to reach the anchorage by day- 

 break. 



About 2.30 A.M., a vessel was perceived, which, by its lights, 

 was made out to be a man-of-war. We now burned a port fire 



