444 Voyage of the Novara. 



40 passengers, and a valuable cargo, was in need of instant 

 relief. This intelligence again delayed our departure. It 

 was at first determined to send off every disposable steamer 

 to the scene of the disaster, and to detain the 3Iagdalena, till 

 full particulars of the mischance had been obtained, for trans- 

 mission to the directors in London. Afterwards it was ar- 

 ranged that the Magdalena should proceed to the spot where 

 tlie Paramatta was lying nearly high and dry, to assist if 

 possible in floating the ship off the reef. 



At 6 P.M. accordingly we steamed out of the Bay of St. 

 Thomas. On the present occasion the Magdatena had 163 

 passengers on board, the majority of whom were planters from 

 the various West India islands, bound on a pleasure trip during 

 the hot season. Not merely the black servants, but even their 

 white and chocolate-coloured masters, broke out into the most 

 marvellous English or French jargon, according as they came 

 from Jamaica and Demerara, from Martinique, Guadaloupe, or 

 Hayti. The presence of a great number of children, who, so 

 long as they kept free of sea-sickness, evidently considered 

 the whole of the quarter-deck as especially designed for them 

 to play on, in which notion they were zealously upheld by 

 their mothers and their nurses, made the passage anything 

 but agreeable. However, the impression made by the 

 grown-up passengers was such as to heighten one's aspira- 

 tions for a speedy voyage. The intelligence which had been 

 received from the seat of war in Italy gave rise to much ex- 

 citement, and within the first twelve hours had made it ap- 



