porter's journal. 



61 



CHAPTER III. 



PASSAGE FROM ST. CATHARINES AROUND CAPE HORN ; ARRI- 

 VAL AT THE ISLAND OF MOCHA. 



The whole of the 26th, we had fresh gales from the 

 southward, which I took advantage of to get a good offing. 

 Saw a small Portuguese schooner, bound to the N. E., but 

 did not speak her. On the 27th, the wind shifted to the 

 E. ; but on account of a heavy head sea, we were not able to 

 make much sail until towards the afternoon, when we had 

 all our light sails out, steering S. S. W., the weather re- 

 markably fine, and our rate from eight to nine miles per 

 hour. 



An alarming disease now made its appearance among the 

 crew ; ten or fifteen of them were suddenly attacked by vio- 

 lent pains in the stomach and cholera morbus. The sur- 

 geons were first of opinion, that it proceeded from the bad 

 rum procured at St. Catharines, under the impression that 

 it was strongly impregnated with lead, the disease having 

 every symptom of that known under the name of the paint- 

 er's cholic. Their speedy recovery, however, soon re- 

 moved this opinion, and caused us to attribute it to the pro° 

 per cause, the too sudden change from salt provisions to 

 fresh, and overloading the stomach with unripe fruit and 

 vegetables. 



The weather continued fine, and the wind fair, until the 

 28th ; the colour of the water indicated soundings ; our 

 course between S. by W. and S. S. W. ; time was too pre- 

 cious for us to heave too to sound. Our latitude on the me- 

 ridian of this day, 34° 58' 09" south, longitude by chronome- 

 ter 51° ir 37" west; variation of the compass 12° 49' east. 

 At nine P. M. the wind began to haul around to the southward, 

 and at midnight, after sharp lightning, fixed itself at S. by E,, 

 and freshened up so as to compel us to send down our royal 

 yards, and double reef our topsails. The cold began now 

 to be sensibly felt, and woollen clothing to be more esteem* 

 ed than it had been for some time past ; the old jackets and 

 browsers that had been lying about the shipj were carefully 



