COMPLETE THE CIRCUIT OF THE GLOBE. 113 



setting to the S. W , attended by many ripples, 

 or lines of broken water. At night, when the 

 wind blew off the shore, the odour of land was 

 very perceptible, and a large quantity of fine sand 

 was deposited on our sails. While yet on this 

 Bank, we obtained soundings in fifty-four and 

 forty fathoms water. A hook and line, lowered 

 to the latter depth, brought up a large fish, a 

 species of Spams, or gilt-head, (the " snapper," 

 of sailors.) Its colour was red ; the back ele- 

 gantly marked with longitudinal lines of gold 

 and purple. 



We rounded the Cape of Good Hope on the 

 12th of September ; but it was not until the 1 5th 

 that the winds permitted us to shape a direct 

 course for St. Helena a time when the voyager 

 hails with delight, the certainty of exchanging 

 the comfortless weather, as well as the toil and 

 anxiety of Cape navigation, for a warmer climate, 

 and uninterrupted fair winds to the equator. 



September 22, 1836. Crossed the meridian 

 of Greenwich, in lat. 20 S., (thus completing 

 the circuit of the Globe by a westward route,) 

 and again entered the western hemisphere. 



On the evening of the 25th September, St. 

 Helena was in sight, bearing N. W. by N., dis- 

 tant twenty-five miles. We approached this 

 island early on the following morning, and sailed 



VOL. II. I 



