12 
LETTERS FROM 
quite motionless on the water, and her crew 
were basking half asleep in the sun. 
At dusk we passed Cape Finisterre, when 
we left the coast, and the next morning 
(Sunday, 10th) we were again out of sight of 
land; but we had two very indistinct views 
of it during the day, once when off Cape 
Mondego, distant forty or fifty miles, and 
again at sunset. About noon we saw a large 
frigate in shore of us, which some on board 
pronounced to be one of Don Pedro’s squad¬ 
ron. The weather was still delightfully fine 
and clear, and the sun so powerful that my 
shipmates were glad to place their seats on 
the shady side of the deck, but you know my 
chilly temperament and cat-like love of bask¬ 
ing in the sunshine too well to suppose that 
I followed their example. As the weather 
was so fine, we had expected that service 
would have been performed on board: per- 
