THE LATE ALLAN CUNNINGHAM, ESQ. 973 
our voyage, although really the incidents are in themselves 
few and meagre ; for in a run out, as ours has been, without 
touching at any port, to look at the complexion of the na- 
tives, eat their fruits, and take a peep into their back country 
—one has not wherewithal to talk of; since, having been 
already at sea a little bit in my life, I can't write of whales, 
grampus, sharks, porpoises, bonitos, or flying-fish, nor of 
the dying dolphin, whose beauteous tints of skin a matter of 
a dozen or more poets have brilliantly sung. However, agree- 
ing as I really do, with Yorick, in the above-cited expression 
of pity, I must say a few words to you of the vasty deep, of 
the things it doth inherit, and of ourselves—messmates, all 
of whom you saw on board, at Spithead. 
* We went to sea on Sunday, the 30th of October last, 
and during the first ten days, encountered much bad weather 
in crossing the Bay, with heavy seas and adverse (south 
westerly) winds. Moderating, however, we sighted Madeira, 
on Sunday, Nov. 13th, which beautiful, very elevated island, 
we passed on its western side. After a run of 1080 miles to 
the S.S.W., we made San Antonio, one of the Cape de Verd 
islands, on the following Sunday, Nov. 20th, and a most 
agreeable day we had of it; for the bland climate, with lots 
of sunshine and blue sky, and the pleasant look the island 
afforded us at eight miles off shore, did indeed remind me of 
some of the happiest days of my life, in other countries, and 
latitudes of this Southern Hemisphere, in which you know I 
have had a seventeen years’ wandering; and to all this was 
superadded the pleasure we derived from a visit made to us 
by the surgeon and chief officer of the Columbo, an India- 
. man, bound to the Cape and Singapore, with which fine ship 
. we came up on that sunny Sunday. The fourth Sunday 
. found us within 34 degrees of the equator, which we crossed 
. on the 29th, in 2° 6’ west long. During the four following 
.. Weeks, we averaged 1,000 miles between Sunday and Sunday, 
. although we ran so far to the westward, by winds from the. 
` Opposite point, as to be close on the Brazil coast before we 
. Crossed the southern tropic. Reaching the parallel of 35° S. 
D voL. I. x 
