10 VOYAGE FROM ENGLAND 



We had now indeed escaped the most imminent danger, but con- 

 fined to our narrow prison, which was still dreadfully tossed by the 

 billows, we led for some* time a very dull life, and therefore felt 

 doubly happy when the fury of the waves at length abated, and 

 we were able cheerfully to proceed towards our destination. We 

 passed Dungeness, and saw the fine cliffs of Beachy Head, a promon- 

 tory in Sussex, between the towns of Hastings and Shoreham, where, 

 in 1690, the French fleet defeated the combined squ^rons of Eng- 

 land and Holland ; at noon we saw also the town of Brighthelmstone, 

 or Brighton, 56 English miles from London, so celebrated for its sea- 

 bathing; and in the evening found ourselves in sight of the Isle of 

 Wight. The sea was calm and unruffled ; the moon shone with un- 

 clouded lustre ; cheerfulness returned among our crew ; the violin of 

 the sailors was again heard, and the young people forgot, in the lively 

 pleasures of the dance, the fears and the dangers to which they had 

 been exposed. 



On the 20th of May, in the morning, we left St, Catharine's Point, 

 in the Isle of Wight, and sailed thence past Portland Point, in Dorset- 

 shire, where the fine stone is procured which is used for building in 

 London. In the next night another storm of such violence arose, 

 that the ship was obliged to tack, to avoid being dashed on the rocky 

 coast of England, in doing which one of our sails was rent by the 

 wind. The following evening, the sea running very high, and the wind 

 being rather contrary, we took refuge in the safe harbour of Torbay. 

 This bay is spacious, and finely bounded by rocky hills. Portland 

 Point projects on the north side, and Start Point on the south. 

 Here we designed to wait for better weather, and to repose after the 

 fatigues we had endured : but two ships bound to the same quarter as 

 ourselves made signals to us to sail in company with them ; we were 

 therefore obliged to give up the repose we had hoped for, and to take 

 to sea with us, the letters which we had written to our friends at 



