290 
LETTERS FROM 
after leaving Ponza. As the passage is about 
ten miles wide, we had not a clear view of 
the islands, but the land on both sides ap¬ 
peared very high, and in many parts thickly 
wooded. Three days after passing the 
Straits we saw Cape Tagliato, on the French 
coast, from which we were distant twenty 
or thirty miles. 
We now began to suffer again most 
severely lfom scarcity of provisions, for our 
stock was reduced to a few hall-rotten pota¬ 
toes and a very small piece of bacon, which 
we husbanded with the greatest care. For¬ 
tunately our misery was not increased by 
thirst, for we had an abundance of tolerably 
good water, and there were several casks of 
the red Sicilian wine on board. I made 
many attempts to relieve our wants by fish¬ 
ing, but though often tantalized with bites 
1 could not succeed in hooking a single lish, 
