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carried us across the equator, on the third of March, with a hun- 

 dred and ten miles on the board. These are delightful circum- 

 stances in a monotonous India voyage, both to sailors and passen- 

 gers, but afford no topic for the descriptive pen. 



" La mer n'est plus qu'un cercle aux yeux des matelots, 

 " Ou le ciel form un dome appuye sur les flots." 



From this period light winds and calms prevailed alternately 

 for near a fortnight; until, in the latitude of 13° south, we met 

 the south-east trade wind, which wafted us on our course at the 

 rate of seven miles an hour ; so that we had generally from a 

 hundred and sixty to a hundred miles in our day's reckoning. 

 This, in the twenty-eighth degree of southern latitude, increased 

 to a severe gale, which blew with unremitting fury four days ; 

 then gradually subsiding, it left us with fair winds and fine weather. 

 These favourable gales continued until the 12th of April, when 

 they entirely forsook us, and instead of the easterly winds com- 

 mon at that season, we encountered strong wintry blasts from the 

 north-west, which drove us to the latitude of 38 degrees south ; 

 where during eight days we experienced three dreadful storms. 

 One of them was a scene of horror and very great danger. 



These hurricanes were succeeded by a faint lull, a short de- 

 ceitful change, which carried us into soundings on the great south- 

 ern bank of Africa; but the captain having positive orders not to 

 stop at the Cape, we began to anticipate the more circumscribed 

 pleasures at St. Helena, after our late anxiety ; when, for twenty- 

 six days together, the dead-lights were shut in, and very often no 

 victuals could be dressed. The situation of the ladies and children 

 was then truly lamentable, and the whole scene distressing. 



