NARRATIVE 



ov Tin: 



UNITED STATES' EXPLORING EXPEDITION. 



CHAPTER I. 

 MADEIRA. 



mruirni from run r sit ei; states— voyage to madeira— arrival at fvncical— ArrE ahasce or madeira 



FROM THE SEA — LASMXO AT FUKCHA 1,~V1 SIT TO THE CIVIL AND MfLITART 60VE1S0111 -STREET*. AWD MODE 



or traxm-ohtatiosi — i niMiVALS Asn raisoxs— villa of carvalhal — contest— tiide* ix madeira— ct-RRAt. 

 — extension towards the cast e*i> or the im.axd — fopvlatioii or madeira— wise— onvitRNMEKT— 



CHARACTER OF TUB ISHARITAKTI — DRK*t— t>U KL U S 0*— MODS OF TRAVELLING — KM PLOY ME NTS Or THE PEOPLE 

 — WINK-MAXIVO— LOITER CL UfM- ASrEST OF Ftro HP I VO — K ATI' R AL HISTORY— «l JNTA or KB. IRAK— DEPAR- 

 TURE FROM MADEIRA. 



TiiK command of the Exploring Expedition de- 

 volved upon nit-, by ..rders from the JIuii. Mahlun 

 Dickersou, then secretary of the navy, on the 20th 

 of March, 1838. On my arrival tit Norfolk, I 

 found every thing in a state of forwardness, and 

 the squadrons in Hampton Roads, whither ihoy had 

 dropped down on the 8th of Auj;u<-t. 



On the 17th of August 1 received my sailing 

 instructions and final orders to j>ut to sen the 

 moment I was ready. The signal was accordingly 

 made that the squadron was under sailing orders, 

 and at 11 a.m. nil hands were called to muster, 

 and divine service was performed. The day was 

 beautiful, the sea smooth, and the wind light. J 

 sliall never forget the impressions that crowded on 

 me during that day in thy hours of service. W'v 

 were admonished in the discourse to repose couli- 

 dpucc in the aid and protection of Him whom all 

 hands had been called to worship, and the admo- 

 nition was well calculated to do us good. 



Uur squadron was composed of tho following 

 vessels. The Vinceunes, a sloop of war of "JW) 

 tons, originally single-decked, but in consequence 

 of the intended cruise, a light deck was put on hei- 

 fer the protection of the men and to afford more 

 room. The accommodations thus became those of 

 a small frigate. 



The Peacock, a sloop of war of 650 tons, origi- 

 nally built with a deck like that of the Yincennes. 

 She had made two cruises previous to her sailing 

 in 1838. 



The Porpoise, a gun-brig of two-and-thirty tons; 

 the tender Sea-Gull of 1 10 tons; the tender FJying- 

 Fish of 06 tons; and the. Relief, a new vessel, ori- 

 ginally intended an a store-ship for the navy. She 

 was built for carrying, and her slow rate of tailing 

 made her ill adapted for the cruise. 



• Dsltd 11 ih Auj?u»t, iftJS. S*c Appendix A. 



I ii'ders wore now given to rendezvous, in cane of 

 sciiarulii.il, ui Madeira, it whs soon found, in (he 

 trial of the sailing (piulilios of the vessels, that the 

 Relief was unsuited to act with the rest without 

 great detention, and after f<jur days I determined 

 in pari company with her, giving h<r orders to 

 proceed to the Cape do Verde*, 



The novelty of our situuli..n was quite enough 

 to interest all; free communication* were had, and 

 endeavours were made to excite a general interest 

 in all the objects lhat were pawning about us, ]| 

 was amusing to seo all entering into the novel 

 occupation of dissecting the fish token, and to hear 

 scientific names bandied about between Jack and 

 his shipmates. 



On the 25th of August our winds became favour- 

 able, and we were enabled to lay our course tow ards 

 Madeira. 1 continued to keep the direction of tin 

 Uulf Stream towards the Western Islands. We 

 felt its influence until we leached the longitude t>r 

 48° W., and found il to set for ihe last few days 

 to the northward of cost. The winds had been 

 light and tho sea smooth, indicating no other im- 

 pulse than tho flow of the stream. The tempera 

 lure gradually decreased from 03° to 76°. 



On tho night of the 20th we parted company 

 wilh the iV-acoek and Flying- Fish in a squall, and 

 did not again meet them until we reached Madeira. 

 The 5th of September, being near the reported 

 shoal of St. Anne, 1 determined to pass over its 

 position. 



On the 6th wo passed over it, the sea was 

 smooth, the horizon clear, and tho day beautiful. 

 At 8 a.m. the look-out cried out, " Rocks or a 

 wreck on the starboard bow 1" which at once 

 created on excitement on board. We stood for it, 

 It had ai first every appearance of a rock, then 

 that of a wreck with the masts gone. It proved, 

 howover, to be a large tree of cotton-wood, oin 



I 



