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conditions, was safely embarked, and in the latter end of March 

 1805 we sailed. Our crew consisted wholly of Genoese and Ca- 

 talans, with the exception of the pilot, a Biscayan, and one good 

 Portugueze sailor. As might naturally be expected, we were de- 

 tained by one of the blockading squadron, the Amphion, an officer 

 belonging to which, accompanied me to the Admiral, Sir John 

 Orde, who, after examining my papers, treated me with every 

 civility, and gave me a certificate directing all ships of war, &c. 

 of his squadron not to molest us, but to render us, if necessary, 

 all the assistance in their power. This protection was of service 

 to us some days afterwards, when we were boarded by the Mer- 

 cury frigate, but, on exhibition of our documents, immediately per- 

 mitted to proceed. On another occasion, however, it availed us 

 but little ; we were detained by a cutter privateer from Guernsey, 

 manned by a set of ruffians, whose captain, after occupying me for 

 two hours with his insults and menaces, at length suffered me to 

 pursue my voyage. It is scarcely necessary to advert to another 

 detention within four leagues of Santa Cruz in Teneriffe, by the 

 Tartar lugger, also from Guernsey, unless for the sake of contrast- 

 ing the handsome treatment I experienced from its commander, 

 with the brutal conduct of the other Guernse3'^-man. 



We touched at Santa Cruz solely for the purpose of taking in 

 water, having sailed from Cadiz with a strong Levant or easterly 

 wind, which, as it was a rare advantage, did not allow us time to 

 lay in a stock for the voyage. During our short stay here, I was 

 permitted, after undergoing an examination, to collect some geolo- 

 gical specimens ; they were all of the volcanic species, intermixed 

 with olivin and augite. 



Continuing our course to the southwards, we had for some days 

 a strong trade wind, but were afterwards exposed to a succession 

 of those calms which frequently prevail between the 7th and 2d 

 degrees of latitude north of the line. The tediousness of these 

 delays was in some degree diverted by immense shoals of bonitos, 



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