70 
THE MEDICATING APPARATUS. 
many happy, instead of weary days, owing to the 
truly paternal government of the late excellent and 
much lamented Captain Bate, R.M., aided by their 
own amiable and cheerful dispositions; so true it is 
that the milk of human kindness can deck even a 
desert with a smiling aspect. Many will look back 
with pleasurable and grateful feelings to that period, — 
long before the time of our present visit, — with which 
no such agreeable recollections can be associated. 
Wednesday, November \*7th . — We anchored in the 
roads of Ascension, and lost no time in commencing 
our refitting, in order to be ready by the first day of 
January to return to the coast, according to the 
orders of Captain Trotter. 
Fortunately all the officers and men had now 
recovered their health ; thanks to the pure breeze of 
the southern ocean, and especially under God's mercy, 
to the beautiful Isle of Annobone, truly a bright spot 
“ to memory dear." 
Our first care was to clean the ship thoroughly, and 
particularly the holds. The powder in the magazine 
was found to be so damp, that it was necessary to 
land it to be dried at the block-house. A part of the 
ventilating apparatus called the purificator, — a large 
iron tank, — having proved to be totally inefficient for 
the purpose intended by the talented contriver, and 
being also exceedingly cumbersome, — occupying a large 
and inconvenient portion of the deck, — it was landed 
to answer the purpose of a water-tank, and in that 
