2^8 Voijage of the Novara. 



was exceedingly unfavourable, tlie rain falling in torrents, 

 while a heavy tumbling sea made the embarkation of the 

 numerous passengers and their effects a process anything but 

 agreeable. I have, therefore, the greater pleasure in express- 

 ing my gratitude for the courtesy of the Captain of H. M. S. 

 Ganges, who sent his own gig to take me off to the steamer, 

 and to the numerous friends, who despite the stormy weather 

 had assembled on board to bid me a last farewell, and pro- 

 vide me with letters of introduction to the authorities and 

 most influential persons of the more important of the locali- 

 ties I was about to visit. At 2 p. m. the shore bell sounded, 

 the little boat made its appearance on the port side, pitching 

 heavily in the swell, and a long thin figure stepped on deck. 

 This proved to be Captain Stewart of the Louisa^ whose ac- 

 quaintance I had formed at the island of Tahiti, and who 

 now, half breathless, handed me a small packet with the 

 following endorsement, — " These are the extracts you re- 

 quested from my journal, and which I promised to prepare 

 for you on my first voyage from Norfolk Island to Pitcairn." 

 They consisted in fact of those remarks upon the latest phase 

 of the strange destiny of the Pitcairn Islanders, which have 

 already appeared in a previous chapter. The worthy Cap- 

 tain had kept his word with true John Bull punctuality. 

 A few moments more and the Callao was steaming- out of 

 Valparaiso Roads, on her voyage northwards. 



Although the boats of the Pacific Steam Navigation Com- 

 pany plying between Valparaiso, Callao de Lima, and Pa 



