TO RIO DE JANEIRO. 



11 



home. Towards evening we doubled the Start Point. Lofty, jagged, 

 perpendicular rocks, form a rude promontory, the flat summit of 

 which, like the whole coast of Devonshire, is clothed with beautiful 

 verdure. The hills partly appeared of a yellow colour, from the 

 blossoms of the Ulex (furze), which strike the eye at a great dis- 

 tance. This plant is very common in England and France. Above 

 the surface of the sea project small rocky islands, against which the 

 waves break in white foam, a sight which was the more pleasing to- 

 day, as it was illumined by the soft light of the setting sun. Our 

 ship, sometimes lifted up by the violently agitated sea, at others 

 seeming as if sinking into the abyss, now hastened towards the ocean. 

 When the next morning dawned, we saw Pendennis Castle, near 

 Falmouth, at a distance, and left the Channel at Cape Lizard, which 

 is distinguished by its two white lighthouses. 



The coasts of Devonshire and Cornwall have not the white colour 

 of the North and South Foreland, but are of a reddish hue. Fal- 

 mouth, in Cornwall, is a small, but important harbour, because the 

 packets sail from it for all parts of the world : at the beginning of every 

 month ships are to be found here bound for Lisbon, Brazil, the West 

 Indies, North America, India, &c. 



We had thus at length reached the inmiense ocean. We wholly 

 lost sight of land: the last point of England, the Land's End, dis- 

 appeared from our view about noon on the 22d of May. From this 

 time all amusement derived from the observation of surrounding ob- 

 jects ceases. Nothing is to be seen but sea and sky, wdth which we 

 soon become pretty well acquainted. We now seek employment in 

 writing or reading, and happy are they who have provided them- 

 selves with a sufficient stock of good books. 



In ten days, during which we had generally fine weather, and met 

 with nothing particular, we reached Madeira. During the passage 

 we often amused ourselves with our lines, and other fishing-tackle, 



