288 CAPTAIN CARTWRIGHT'S 



longitude to the greatest nicety; full as much so, 

 as the meridian observation of the sun does that 

 of the latitude. It immediately after became calm, 

 and so continued till day-light, when we had a 

 fair sight of the land, at about three leagues dis- 

 tance. A light breeze then came from the south- 

 ward and brought on thick fog, when we stood 

 along shore to the eastward, sometimes seeing the 

 land, and others not. The wind increased bv de- 

 grees until it reduced us to close reefed topsails; 

 the fog was then become very thick, and w^e began 

 to think ourselves in danger of being lost; as we 

 were not far from the shore, the wind being dead 

 on it, and a gale of wind, with a long dark night 

 at hand. Lost we must have been, beyond all 

 doubt, had not a pilot boat, lying off the Old Head 

 of Kinsale, got sight of us, and boarded us at two 

 o'clock in the afternoon; w^e then were within a 

 mile of that land vet could not see it. We immedi- 

 ately put up the helm, squared the yards, and at 

 four, came safe to an anchor in the excellent har- 

 bour of Kinsale; by which time it blew a desper- 

 ate gale of wdnd, with so thick a fog, that we could 

 not see across the harbour, and both continued for 

 three days. The next morning I went on shore, 

 and took up my quarters at a house called the 

 Bowling-green, and had the pleasure to find gen- 

 eral Moucher and several of my old friends of the 

 Regiment of Buffs; I dined at the mess of the 

 latter. The following day I dined with the gen- 

 eral; on Sunday the fifth of December I went to 

 church, where I returned God thanks for my safe 



