Fotfage to the Cape of the New Settlers. 



208 



Majesty's Government, and liad that 

 justice been as strictly adhered to 

 by those whose duty it was to see it 

 properly administered, our voyasie 

 would have been much less irksome 

 than it ultimately proved to he. The 

 weather continuing rough, the effects 

 of it were soon sensibly felt upon our 

 stomachs. Men, women, and children 

 were ranged from stem to stern, and 

 as well as the intervals between each 

 mouthful would permit, bewailing 

 themselves for embarking in such an 

 enterprise ; however, as we apjjroached 

 the warmer latitudes, our stomachs 

 were in better trim, and by December 

 I5th, in the lat. of Cape Ortej^al, we 

 were most of tis in a slate of convales- 

 cence. On this day an immense shoal 

 of jjorpoises passed our bows, taking a 

 soutb-easterlydirection, which circum- 

 stance the seamen looked on as no fa- 

 vourable omen, as in all probability the 

 wind would shift to that quarter. 



The next day, as they had predicted, 

 a fresh breeze sprung up from the 

 southward, andtiie weather, which for 

 the last week bad been clear, had now 

 become hazy and intensely cold — the 

 wind freshening ever)' hour we were 

 bearing away for the American coast, 

 in a \V. NW. direction, and altogether 

 conspired to render our situation par- 

 ticularly impleasant ; on the 21st we 

 wore ship and stood on the other tack, 

 in a SE. direction, till the 23rd, when 

 our ears were assailed Avith the glad- 

 dening tiding of a fair wind, and we 

 soon beheld, with no little satisfiction, 

 that sun which had been seven days 

 obscured, burst foi'th in unclouded ma- 

 jesty ; immediate advantage was taken 

 of the event, and we now stood in a 

 SW. direction, with a fine breeze, lat. 

 this day 47° 20-*, by which it Mill be 

 seen that we bad gained but little 

 ground since the loth. The weather 

 being now fine, our troubles were soon 

 foigotten; the countenances which had 

 before presented true pictures of de- 

 spondency, now lighted up by the 

 hopes, which, but a momentary con- 

 templation of the happiness of the fu- 

 ture had imparted, and the pleasing 

 conviction of having escaped the in- 

 hospitable tap of those enemies to free- 

 dom, Messrs. Doe and Roe, had, I 

 presume, no small share in the meta- 

 morphose. Our digestive organs hav- 

 ing been for some time in delicate 

 order, we were enabled to provide 

 sumptuously for that day of English 

 festivity, called Christmas, each one 



[April 1, 



acting his part on the occasion in a 

 way peculiar to convalescents at sea. 

 The evening was spent in great convi- 

 viality, the friends we had left be- 

 hind being toasted in bumpers of good 

 punch. 



The weather continuing fine, our ap- 

 proach to the sun was sensibly felt. 

 On Wednesday the 29th, we saw Ma- 

 deira, bearing W. SW., distance about 

 eight leagues, and on the Friday fol- 

 lowing we could plainly discern the 

 Peak of TeneriflFe. It is impossible to 

 give an adequate idea of the brilliancy 

 of the scene it presented, the setting 

 sun shining on its stupendous summit, 

 which appeared above a belt of crimson 

 clouds below, which descended in ir- 

 regular lines, immense caverns, the 

 ridges of which partaking of the sun's 

 brilliancy, and the shadowed parts ap- 

 pearing like drifts of snow. As the 

 evening advanced, so we appioached 

 the Peak, and the reflections of the 

 moon, which »vas now at the full, hav- 

 ing the same effect upon it as the sun : 

 the scene was truly sublime. While 

 gazing with wonder and delight on this 

 pviamid of nature, we were apprised 

 of new scenes presenting themselves 

 upon our starboard, and the island of 

 Palma was soon distinguished, but at a 

 great distance. Having a fine breeze 

 next morning, we were near enough 

 plainly to discern small objects on the 

 shore, but a foul wind suddenly spring- 

 ing up, we were obliged to bear away 

 to the NW. 



The wind continuing in the same 

 quarter, we remained beating about 

 till Monday. Jan. 3rd, when the wind 

 having in some degree abated, we had 

 some hopes of weathering the NE. 

 point of the island, but were disap- 

 pointed in our expectations, as we 

 were again obliged to bear away to the 

 N.NW. it blowing very fresh, and a 

 tremendous sea running. The next 

 day we were more fortunate, and suc- 

 ceeded in weathering the point; at 

 noon we were entirely becalmed. This 

 circumstance enabled us to have a fine 

 view of the island, which seems to rise 

 from the sea in a semicircular form, 

 with a surface even as a mole-hill, but 

 on a nearer approach, lofty eminences 

 and deep ravines are discernable; it 

 nevertheless has a vevy fertile appear- 

 ance, the mountains being covered with 

 herbage to their very summit, while 

 those parts near the sea arc neatly laid 

 out in vineyards. In the evening, a 

 fine breeze springing up from the east- 

 ward, 



