4 



thing of the kind before, I was wonderfully pleased 

 with the manoeuvring of several large ships, which 

 passed through the sands at the same time with us : 

 their motions seemed to be effected with as much 

 ease and dexterity as if they had been crane-necked 

 carriages ; and the effect as they pursued each 

 other's track and windings was perfectly beautiful. 



November 12. (Sunday.) 

 The wind was contrary, and we had to beat 

 up the whole way ; we did not reach the Downs 

 till past four o'clock, and, as there were above 

 sixty vessels arrived before us, we had some diffi- 

 culty in finding a safe berth. At length we an- 

 chored in the Lower Roads, about four miles off 

 Deal. We can see very clearly the double lights 

 in the vessel moored off the Goodwin sands : it 

 is constantly inhabited by two families, who reside 

 there alternately every fortnight, except when the 

 weather delays the exchange. The " Sir Godfrey 

 Webster" is a vessel of 600 tons, and was formerly 

 in the East India service. I have a very clean 

 cabin, a place for my books, and every thing is much 

 more comfortable than I expected ; the wind, how- 

 ever, is completely west, the worst that we could 

 have, and we must not even expect a change till the 

 full moon. The captain pointed out a man to me 

 to-day, who had been with him in a violent storm 

 off the Bermudas. For six hours together, the 

 flashes of lightning were so unintermitting, that 



