MALTA AND SICILY. 
45 
a long heavy swell from the northward, which 
increased towards evening, and caused our 
unstable vessel to roll so violently that we 
all passed nearly a sleepless night. From 
sad experience, I fear that H. M. S. P. 
Flamer, is very much addicted to this most 
distressing motion, even more so than others 
of the smoky sisterhood. We had quite 
recovered from our sea malady, but how 
could we sleep when we were rolled over 
from our backs to our sides, and back again, 
every half-second ? 
During our voyage from Gibraltar to Cape 
de Gatt and back, and again from Gibraltar 
to the coast of Africa, the current which 
usually sets so strongly through the Straits 
from the westward, was so slight, that our 
position was not sensibly affected by it. 
This may be accounted for by the prevalence 
of strong easterly winds, which have a ten- 
