EXPEDITION TO SURINAM. 7 



the good fortune however to efcape the loathiome ma- CFIAP. 

 lady, and to the Do£l:or's furprize appeared once more on 

 board perfe6tly well, juft before the fignal gun was 

 fired for the fleet to weigh anchor. This circumftance 

 cannot but induce me to wifn that thofe in particular 

 who are deftined for a milirary or a naval life would 

 avail themfelves of the art of inoculation, in order to 

 avoid a painful anxiety to themfelves, and a moft dan- 

 gerous infecSlion to their fellow-creatures. 



On Chriftmas-day our fmall fleet put to fea, at eight 

 o'*clock, A. M. with a frefli breeze from E. N. E. in com- 

 pany with above one hundred veflels bound for differ- 

 ent parts of the globe, and the moft beautiful clear wea- 

 ther. Having fafely got without the foundings, and 

 faluted each other with nine guns, we kept our courfe 

 down channel, and foon paffed the North Foreland^ the 

 IJle of Wight, and Portland Point ; but here the Weft- 

 ellingwerf, having fprung a leak, was obliged to part 

 company, and run into Plymouth for repair. 



The wind now frefhened as we approached the Bay of 

 Bifcay, where the mate of the veffel directed my particular 

 attention to a kind of fea- fw allow, commonly diftinguiflied 

 by the name of the Storm-bird *, from its fuppofed pro- 

 perty of foretelling an impending tempeft. The colour 

 of this bird is a very deep blue approaching to black, 

 and enlivened by fome variegated tints ; its fize is about 



* The Stormy Petrel of Pennant. 



that 



