14 
AN EARLY BREAKDOWN. 
liundred and twenty tons, three guns, and' forty men. 
On hoard of the la-st sailed the writer of the present 
volume. 
The first four of these vessels proceeded to Simon’s 
Bay, Cape of Good Hope, via the island of Madeira, 
wliile the latter touched at the Cape de Verde Islands on 
her way to the same destination. On the 20th of Sep- 
tember we liad all joined company at that extreme of 
Southern Africa, and Avere expecting soon to continue 
our voyage, Avhen to our extreme chagrin it was an- 
nounced that every vessel of the squadron, Avith the 
exception of the little “Cooper,” was in need of extensive 
repairs: Ave had been sent to sea in a miserably unsea- 
Avorthy condition. Of course these repairs Avere at once 
entered upon with energy and spirit; but such Avas their 
extent, and such the difficulty of obtaining skilful AAwk- 
mcn and proper material at that port, that it Avas not 
until the 9th of NoA’cmber that we once more found 
ourselA^cs clear of the headlands and fairly pointed for 
the locale of our future Avork. 
The passage of the Kennedy as far as Porto Praya, 
Cape de Verde Islands, aa'Us remarkably pleasant, though 
presenting but tAvo occurrences Avorthy of note. These 
Avere meteorological phenomena, the folloAAdng descrip- 
tion of AA'hich I take from my journal under date of 
J uly 1 ; — 
“ The last tAvo nights have each been remarkable for 
an interesting display of meteorological phenomena. The 
first of these, as seen night before last by Mr, Kennon, 
the master, consisted of a meteorite or fire-ball, AAdiich, 
commencing its flight in the vicinity of the constellation 
