346 MEMOIR OF JOHN WILSON. 



we slept comfortably. This walk gave us a view of the Vale of 

 Alesford and the richest parts of Kent. 



" On Thursday, "Id, we returned to the 'Vernon,' through a woody 

 and hedgy country, and the hottest of days, and in the afternoon 

 saw the powder taken aboard. The officers of the 96th gave me a 

 dinner at the barracks, and a jovial night we had of it. On rowing 

 back to the ship, one of our lieutenants fell overboard, but we 

 picked him up without loss of time, and had him resuscitated. On 

 Friday, 3d, I called on the Admiral, and chatted with his three 

 daughters, about the corresponding ages of your three — pretty, and 

 well brought up, elegant, and without hauteur. They have no 

 mother, but an aunt lives with the Admiral, who is a kind-hearted 

 soul as ever lived. I also called on Captain Chambers, captain of 

 the ' Ocean,' who lives on shore, and chatted with his daughters, 

 three in number, and agreeable— eldest pretty and rather literary 

 — good people all. I also called on Mr. Warden, surgeon, who used 

 to live in Ann Street. I found him and his wife and family snugly 

 situated in a good house, and civil to a degree. I dined on board 

 the 'Ocean:' officers of that ship delightful fellows, and over- 

 whelmed me with kindness. 



"Saturday, the Uh— The ' Snake' gun-brig from Woolwich ap- 

 peared in the offing going down the river, and the ' Ocean' saluted 

 her with twelve guns. At midday the ' Vernon' manned her yards, 

 a beautiful sight, while we received the Admiral. I lunched on 

 board the ' Ocean,' and dined in the ' Vernon,' having inspected 

 all the docks and the model-room, and seen Sheerness completely. 

 In the evening we were towed out to the Nore. On Sunday, the 

 5th, we weighed anchor by daylight, and the ' Vernon' for the first 

 time expanded her wings in flight. She was accompanied by the 

 Duke of Portland's celebrated yacht the 'Clown,' whom she beat 

 going before the wind, but we had no other kind of trial till we 

 cast anchor off the Sark in the ' Swin' off Norwich. Monday, the 

 Qth. — Weighed anchor at daylight with a fine breeze, and went into 

 the Downs. Off Ramsgate, were joined by the ' Snake' and ' Pan- 

 taloon' gun-brigs, the latter the best sailer of her size ever known. 

 It came on to blow fresh, and for several hours we tried it on upon 

 a wind, having been joined by a number of cutters. The ' Vernon' 

 rather beat the rest, but in my opinion not very far, the ' Pantaloon' 

 sticking to her like wax. But our sails are not yet stretched, and 



