334 NAVIGATION. 



13' north, lon<r. 15° 46' west.* Many of the private traders 

 touch at Madeira, but very few of the company's ships. A 

 ship bound for Funchal should pass between Point de Sol 

 and the Desertas, and haul in for the Roads. The approach 

 to the Roads is very striking,— on the left are seen the 

 Desertas,— high, daA, barren islands, enveloped in clouds 

 and mist ; on the right Madeira rises in a bold cliff of a 

 Teddish aspect, over which are seen the vme-clad lulls 

 With a commanding breeze the ship sweeps round Toint 

 de Sol, and is frequently becalmed before she gets near the 

 anchoratre. The merchants are always on the look-out, 

 and ever ready to welcome their friends from England. 



Madeira mav be termed the first stage in a voyage to In- 

 dia, and is usually performed in eight or ten days. By this 

 time people have'been shook, or rolled, or pitched into their 

 places. The weather has become genial, the scene is new, 

 and the deck of an Indiaman full of troops and passengers 

 presents a gav appearance on her arrival at Madeira. 1 be 

 style of society on board the regular ships is extremely 

 £Ood. There is no doubt much restraint and great attention 

 to etiquette ; but a reflecting mind will at once perceive 

 how necessary restriction must be where a mere handlul 

 of officers have to keep in a state of prompt obedience a 

 crew of 130 seamen of ail characters, and sometimes three 

 or four hundred troops in addition. Some allowance ought 

 to be made for a commander who is often p aced in very 

 tryincr circumstances ; and when it is considered that he 

 can neither select his officers nor choose his passengers, 

 and that the ship is sometimes fairly at sea in forty-eight 

 hours after the captain, passengers, and crew have joined 

 her, it must be apparent that to produce perfect harmony is 

 sometimes attended with great difficulty. The following 

 sketch of a day will show the usual routine on board an In- 

 diaman : at daylight the upper deck is washed and scoured 

 ■with sand and stones from stem to stern. This operation 

 occupies the watch upon deck till seven o'clock, when the 

 decks are dried up, the awnings and curtains spread. At 

 half-past seven the hammocks are piped up and stowed m 

 the nettmgs. The troops are paraded a few minutes before 



_., < East Rock, lat. 30° 3' N., long. 16° 2' W. 

 ^Capt. Owen— Salvages, Piton, j Large Islet, — 30 7 N., 15 54 W. 



