MADEIRA. 
3 
one for the English and the other for the Persian Ambassador, whilst 
the fore-cabin was appropriated to our meals. The half-deck was 
enclosed on each side by bulkheads, the Persian servants on one side 
and the English on the other ; at the extremity of which were two small 
cabins, which were occupied by Mr. Gordon and myself. Mine was 
about nine feet square, with an eighteen pounder in the middle of it, 
and was bounded on one side by the Persian servants, and on the other 
by a cow, a much less noisy neighbour than they; for notwithstanding 
their sea-sickness, their natural loquacity did not forsake them. It was 
quite agreeable to remark how soon they accustomed themselves to ship¬ 
board, and with what facility they made their way amongst the sailors. 
On the 18th of July, 1810, we left Spithead, and after an agreeable 
passage of eleven days, reached Madeira. Here the Persian Ambassa¬ 
dor refused to go on shore, though the curiosity of the people and the 
politeness of the governor made every effort to prevail on him to alter 
his determination. His reasons we could not well ascertain, but we 
guessed that they might be influenced by a little jealousy at the honours 
paid to the English Embassy. We sailed again on the 1st of August, 
and on the 28th crossed the line*; when the operation of shaving was 
performed with unusual merriment, although the sailors did not take 
advantage of the additional stock of beards, which they had in the 
Persians, to exact from them any extraordinary tribute. 
On the 11th of September we made Cape Frio ; and as we approached 
the shore we called the Persians to look at the Yengee Duniah, or the 
new world, of which in their country they had heard such wonders, and 
upon the subject of which they were prepared to believe any thing, 
however marvellous. They seemed, in consequence, disappointed to 
behold nothing but common land and common trees, and exclaimed, 
that it was odd that the new world should be just like the old. When we 
* When our latitude, by dead reckoning at noon, was 24", by observation 1° soutli; our 
longitude by a mean of two chronometers and a lunar observation, 18° 59' 10"; Cape Frio, 
in the Brazils, bearing S. 44° W. 1970 miles. 
B 2 
