2 PASSAGE OF 



quainted with the popular narrative of his voy- 

 age^ can approach the spot without some degree 

 of interest. The progress of improvement in 

 navigation and seamanship has^ indeed, stripped 

 the Cape of most of its terrors ; and the passage, 

 which formerly cost so much labour and suffering, 

 is now performed with comparative ease and cer- 

 tainty. But there is still left enough of romance 

 about this great promontory to excke no inconsi- 

 derable curiosity: and, accordingly, on the evening 

 of the 25th of November, all eyes were anxious- 

 ly directed towards the west, in which quarter 

 the Cape was situated. Several groups of the 

 more curious amongst the officers were perched 

 at the mast heads, with telescopes and sketch- 

 books in their hands, ready to take advantage of 

 the first glimpse of the land. Others, whose ener- 

 gy did not equal their curiosity, mounted a few 

 steps of the rigging, and came down again ; say- 

 ing they would see it quite as well in the morning 

 without trouble. The sailors, in the mean time, 

 habitually indifferent to every thing of this na- 

 ture, amused themselves with a noisy game of 

 leap-frog along the deck. 



a 



