4 
LETTERS FROM 
in a very few days we should have left this 
November weather behind us, and should 
be luxuriating in the delights of a more 
temperate climate and clearer atmosphere. 
About eleven in the forenoon the commander 
of the packet came on board with the mail¬ 
bags, upon which we immediately weighed 
anchor, and paddled out of the harbour. We 
had not proceeded many miles, however, before 
we began both to hear and to feel a very unplea¬ 
sant thumping at every stroke of the engines. 
This soon increased to such a degree that 
the order was given to “ stop her.” We now 
learned that one of the piston-rods, which 
was making its first voyage, was rather too 
long, so that it came in contact with the bot¬ 
tom of the cylinder at every stroke of the 
engine. After an hour or more spent in 
fruitless attempts to remedy this defect, our 
engineers were at length obliged to dis- 
