CRUISE WITH TIIE EXPERIMENTAL SQUADRON. 349 



smooth water and moderate winds the 'Snake' is at present her 

 master, much to my surprise; when it blows hard we are superior. 

 Friday, 1 Oth. — This morning at four we entered Plymouth. The 

 country around is very beautiful, and young Captain Blackwood and 

 I are proposing to go on shore. How long we remain here seems 

 uncertain. I hope it may not be above a day or two. 



" Captain Blackwood and self have been perambulating Plymouth, 

 and intend to dine at the hotel thereof. 



"I have written a tolerably long letter. God bless you all, and 

 true it is that I think of you every hour, and hope you now and then 

 think of me too. Kindest love to all the progeny, John, Mag, Moll, 

 Blair, and Umbs, and believe me yours most affectionately, 



" J. Wilson. 



" Write to me again on receipt of this, and enclose as before to 

 Mr. Barrow of the Admiralty. The enclosed signature of my 

 name, Johnny will give to Robert Blackwood, who will get my half- 

 year's salary from the City Chamberlain, which you will get from 

 the said Bob. Send £10 to Elleray, and account to me for the rest 

 of the enormous sum.* I enclosed £5 in my last from Sheerness. 

 Once more love to yourself and to children, and farewell. I will 

 write from Cork. Yours, J. W." 



" Plymouth, August 23d 

 " My dearest Jane : — I have, as you know, received your first 

 long united epistle, and answered it in a hurried letter, telling you 

 to write to me direct to Plymouth. Before that I wrote a long 

 journal letter enclosing my signature for a receipt, which no doubt 

 you have received. To wait for the post of that era (the day after 

 my long letter, August 10), I went up the Tamar with Captain 

 Blackwood, and after an excursion of three days returned to Ply- 

 mouth. On Tuesday the 14th I dined on board the 'Malta,' Cap- 

 tain Clavell, with a large party, and that evening went aboard the 

 ' Campeadora' schooner, a pleasure-yacht belonging to Mr. Wil- 

 liamson, from Liverpool (nephew to old Shaw thereof, who, I un- 

 derstand, was a rich and well-bred personage), and sailed with him 

 to Portsmouth, distant from Plymouth 150 miles. I passed two 

 days at Portsmouth viewing all the great works there ; and return- 

 ed to Plymouth on Saturday, the 17th, by a steamer; a most stormy 



* The Professor's " salary" was £72 4s. 4d. per annum. • 



