157 



defpalr, I have been greeted with tidings of 

 fafety. 



Often, In the midft of threatening ap- 

 pearances, and manifold difquletudes, you are 

 vifited by the carpenter, with the " dead- 

 lights," who, fixing them in the ftern win- 

 dows, nails you up in darknefs, as in a coffin, 

 and with as much fang froid as men of his 

 calling fcrew up the bodies of thofe who are 

 adlually dead : at the fame time replying, 

 with unfeeling indifference, to your anxi- 

 ous and fearful inquiries regarding the ne- 

 ceffity of that ftep being taken, that it is 

 only to keep the fpray from breaking the win^ 

 dows /" But I am fatiguing you with a de- 

 tail of what every one knows ; what all have 

 read ; and moft, who have been at fea, have 

 felt : let me, therefore, revert, from ftorms in 

 general, to our prefent voyage, in which you 

 will find, perhaps, more of novelty. 



What fhall I fay to you of our great 

 armada — of our unfortunate, unhappy fleet ! 

 Ere this can reach you, you will have had 

 many, alas ! too many melancholy proofs of 



