TRISTAN D ACUNHA. 79 



un happiness. It is to drown troublesome thoughts 

 that Jack flies to the inebriating cup, and plunges 

 madly into the lowest dissipation. 



The land, which seemed as yet but a dark blue 

 3jc<k on the horizon, was the island of Tristan 

 cT Acunha, which we had been expecting for some 

 days to see. Toward evening the breeze fresh- 

 ened, and the following day, at 8 o'clock, we were 

 hove to abreast of the only landing place upon the 

 island, there being no harbor or sheltered anchor- 

 age for vessels. 



Tristan d' Acunha is the largest of a group of 

 islets in the South Atlantic, nearly midway be- 

 tween the Cape of G ood Hope and Cape Horn, and 

 in about latitude 37 degrees South, and longitude 

 12 degrees West. The other islands are named 

 Nightingale, and Inaccessible Island. Off the lat- 

 ter, Commodore (at that time Commander) Bid- 

 die, with whom I made my first cruise of three 

 years, in the Navy, fought an action, during the 

 war of 1812, with the British brig Penguin, he 

 being at that time in command of the Hornet. 



The battle lasted twenty -two minutes, when the 

 British vessel struck her colors and surrendered. 

 Our old Commodore used to wear, on gala days, 

 the identical coat ivhich he wore that day in action, 

 a small patch on the right arm, being the mark 

 of an enemy's bullet, by which he that day re- 

 ceived a wound. With a prodigality character- 

 istic of such an old sailor as he was, he wore upon 



