14 
neared St, Helen’s point. Isle of Wight The pilot then came 
on board, and steered us into Spithead road, off Portsmouth, This 
town, in which I was so much pleased two years before, has a 
very handsome appearance. Several ships of the line were lying 
in the harbour, among which was the Victory , on board of which 
Lord Nelson was killed. When we saw the admiral’s flag floating 
from her mainmast head, we saluted her with seventeen guns, 
which she returned with thirteen. We anchored in the road 
where we found two English corvettes, an East India company’s 
ship, and a Portuguese frigate, which had brought the Portuguese 
ambassador, the Marquis Palmella, to England. 
CHAPTER II. 
Stay in England.—Portsmouth.—Plymouth.—Bevonport. 
Falmouth. 
AS the corvette was to remain, for the instruction of the mid¬ 
shipmen, until all the naval establishments had been accurately 
examined, I resolved to go on shore and travel from Portsmouth 
to Plymouth and Falmouth, and then rejoin the corvette. On 
the 1st of May I went in the boat, accompanied by Captain Ryk 
and Lieutenant Lejeune, to Portsmouth. The sea ran very high, 
and the eight oarsmen made very little way against the swell. As 
we entered the harbour where the waves were exceedingly high, 
we turned so quickly that two seas struck our boat in the side, 
and made us more than once fear that she would be foundered. 
Nevertheless we arrived safely, though thoroughly wet. 
I remained in Portsmouth three days, and as its situation and 
relations were already known to me, I spent the time in reading, 
writing, paying and receiving visits, and in strolling about in in¬ 
teresting society. For a similar reason I allowed myself to make 
desultory observations. 
According to the navy list, there are at Portsmouth sixteen 
ships in actual service, mounting five hundred and eighteen guns; 
sixty-five dismantled, with four thousand one hundred and forty- 
three guns, and eighteen building, which are to carry seven hun¬ 
dred and fifty-six guns; making a total of five thousand four hun¬ 
dred and seventeen guns. 
Some of the lowest class of people were masquerading in ho¬ 
nour of the 1st of May. Most of them were dressed as Jack-pud¬ 
dings; others were ornamented with bladders: they marched 
