13 
following day. In the mean time the weather improved, though 
the wind continued to be very slight and unfavourable. I embraced 
this opportunity to visit Dover, in company with Captain Ryk , 
his nephew, and Mr. Tromp. We breakfasted at Wright’s hotel, 
in which, eighteen months before I had stayed with my family, 
and at that time took a walk to the fortified camp, that lies west- 
wardly from the town, on an important height. To this place we 
ascended by stairs cut about twenty years ago. A subterranean 
passage leads from the town to the foot of these stairs. For a supply 
of water a well was dug through the rock to the depth of about 
two hundred feet, and to this well three stairs were cut of two hun¬ 
dred and sixty-eight steps each. These stairways are wide enough 
to allow two men to walk conveniently abreast. They terminate 
in a funnel-shaped excavation, whence a stone staircase leads to¬ 
wards four terrace-shaped barracks, built one above the other. 
Somewhat higher is a pentagonal redoubt, also employed as a 
barrack, in which at this time a detachment of artillery, the only 
garrison of Dover was quartered. The redoubt forms the right 
wing of the position. From this point an irregular line of ma¬ 
sonry, partly hewed out of the rock, runs to the left wing, where 
there is an oblong quadrangular fort. In front of this fort is a to¬ 
lerably deep valley, through which the London road passes. We 
were delighted with the view of this beautiful vale and the fresh 
green of the turf. Messrs. Tromp and Ryk made a sketch of 
the rocks and mountains, which would make a strong impression 
upon one who had not beheld them, even upon me who am fami¬ 
liar with their appearance, it produced a very agreeable feeling. 
From the left wing a line runs en cremaillere , beside which, at 
an entering angle, a casemated magazine is placed near a small 
fort that defends the harbour. From this line a door opens to¬ 
wards the high rock called Shakspeare’s Cliff, which we had not 
leisure to visit. The masonry of the fortification is of brick, with 
a half revetement . The rock is throughout chalk, containing 
flint. These flints are much employed in paving roads and streets, 
to the great injury of the hoofs of horses; some houses in Dover 
are also built of them. We turned back again towards the cor¬ 
vette, highly gratified with our excursion. We saw two steam¬ 
boats arrive at Dover, one from Calais and the other from Bou¬ 
logne. A water spout was pointed out to me at a distance. At 
one o’clock the wind began to blow fair, the anchor was weigh- 
ed, and we stood onwards with fine weather, delighted with the 
continuous view of the English coast. 
On the 30th of April with a fresh wind we made the eastern 
point of the Isle of Wight, where we hoisted a flag, and fired a 
gun for a pilot, who did not come on board immediately. We 
sailed cautiously onwards, came in sight of Portsmouth, and 
