EMIGRATION, OR 



climate, with longer days, north latitude 44: 29 longitude, 

 12 : 30, west thermometer 63; on the evening of Nov. 

 2d, a bank of clouds arose north-west, and a breeze sprung 

 up in our favour ; we had now been thirteen days at sea, 

 and its effects were such, that provisions were in some mea 

 sure useless, tea, gruel, pudding, or a roasted potatoe being 

 all I could take, with soda-water, or a little warm porter for 

 drink ; but at this time the weather became pleasant and 

 warm, with light wind, thermometer 65, and the sea being 

 nearly smooth, partially restored my health, and I made 

 ample amends in eating after my long abstinence ; we nov 

 got so far from land that the gulls and other sea birds le 

 us, and experienced a variety of winds, but generally wan 

 weather, and the voyager would have some pleasure ii 

 agreeable and decorous company ; whales sported about, am 

 other large fish were occasionally near the vessel. The saline 

 air caused my apparel to become damp and mouldy, and 

 knives, &c. to rust ; attention to these matters, assisted in 

 passing time away, but occasional squalls would interrupt 

 my business ; in the twilight I often amused myself, when 

 there was a gentle breeze fanning the surface of the 

 water, by viewing the ripples it made with their whit 

 caps, it looked so much like an extensive fallow-fiek. 

 with a slight scattering of snow on its unevennesses ; an 

 fancy, ever busy, conjured up in the distance some well- 

 known familiar spot for the imagination to feast on, till the 

 darkening shades of night, or the approach and noise ( 

 sailors, aroused me from my reverie : ten days thus passe 

 when we had a heavy breeze all day, and took in the main 

 top-gallant sails. Have seen of late a large brown bird of 

 the gull species, which the sailors call a shear-water, and 

 some small birds like martins they denominate Mother 

 Gary s chickens. The ship s store of potatoes became half 

 rotten through having been dug before they were ripe, 

 and put on board in a wet state. Mine remained quite 

 sound, but began to shoot, through the mild season. 

 Rather disagreeable weather followed this gale, and several 

 seas broke over the vessel ; then a dead calm ensued, and 

 the ship rolled much ; but a smart breeze soon sprung up, 

 north by east, which carried us eight knots per hour, 

 and was the first wind the sailors called fair, that is, 

 lying aft, or at the hind part of the vessel. The sea water 

 is quite warm, and sparkles alongside the ship at night like 



