LEAVING LIVERPOOL. 
33 
and on Wednesday, the 17th of February, the ‘ Wilber- 
force’ sailed from Liverpool for Kingston Harbour; 
Commander W. Allen having permission to visit Dublin 
for the purpose of consulting Professor Lloyd on the 
use of a newly-invented magnetical instrument. 
The weather was unusually beautiful for the time of 
the year, a brilliant sun shone on our first step in a good 
cause, and cheered all hands with bright anticipations for 
the future. If omens were to be taken, our little voyage 
to Kingston was an epitome of our after proceedings. 
Pleasant breezes, and a sea as smooth as glass enabled 
the ‘ Wilberforce,’ on leaving Liverpool — being very light 
— to slip through the water at such a rate, that our crew 
began already to flatter themselves that their ship was a 
“ clipper.” 
But we had hardly cleared Holyhead, when a south- 
wester came on, with a short chopping head sea, causing 
the vessel to tumble about in such an extraordinary way, 
and each sea that struck her, gave such a rude shock, 
that frequently during the night, the crew rushed on deck 
supposing she was thumping on a sand-bank. The quick 
uneasy motion, owing to the peculiar build and light 
draught of water, made many old seamen feel sensations 
they had long forgotten. To add to our difficulties, a 
part of the engine was discovered to be out of order in the 
night : and while we were obliged to “ lie to ” for it to 
be replaced, the strong wind and heavy sea drove our 
flat-bottomed vessel to leeward at a very rapid rate ; so 
that in the morning we found ourselves in Drogheda Bay, 
VOL. I. 
D 
