208 
are thus enabled to blockade the Narrows very closely. Should 
a fleet wish to force the passage, it can, as I remarked last fall, 
neither be prevented from so doing by Fort Richmond, nor 
Fort La Fayette. In a conversation which I had with Ge¬ 
neral Bernard, he stated, that he would prevent a close block¬ 
ade by means of two strong casemated forts, which he would 
erect on the before-mentioned shallows, whereby the enemy 
would be perfectly excluded from Raritan bay. This project 
could not, however, be realised at that time, because the grant of 
funds by congress were to be appropriated to the completion of 
the works on the fortress already commenced. 
In the afternoon, the pilot at length left us, and we found our¬ 
selves on the open sea. Although the wind blew very gently, 
still the sea, owing to the late storm, ran very high. The ship 
rolled dreadfully and many of our passengers were sea-sick. I 
also felt somewhat unwell, but my complaint did not produce 
vomiting. 
During the 25th of June the wind not being favourable, we made 
but little progress. The weather was rather unpleasant, and the 
whole day clouded with a thick fog, almost as dense as that 
through which we made our way during last year on the banks 
of Newfoundland. Towards the afternoon the weather brighten¬ 
ed up a little. We spoke two ships, the Camillus, of New York, 
from Greenock, in Scotland, with Scotch emigrants, bound to 
New York, and a small brig from New Brunswick, in ballast, to 
New York. A shark followed our ship for some time. It gave 
me particular pleasure to perceive what tranquillity reigned on 
board, that no swearing was to be heard, and that every thing 
tended to the comfort of the passengers. 
During the night rain fell, and on the 26 th of June we had like¬ 
wise several showers. We perceived the Edward Quesnell astern 
of us, and set several additional sails that she might not reach 
us. The wind was not very favourable, and blowing from the 
south-east, it drove us into the neighbourhood of the perilous 
George’s bank, which we so carefully avoided last year. There¬ 
fore we changed our course and stood to the south. It became 
imperiously necessary this year to keep aloof from the bank of 
Newfoundland, because we had been assured that a great quantity « 
of detached ice had come down from the north, and setting on 
the bank in the shape of bergs and fields of ice, had rendered the 
passage extremely dangerous. Several of our passengers, and I 
among the number, had not entirely recovered from the effects 
of sea-sickness. 
On the 27th of June the wind had come round favourably to 
the west, so that we were enabled to hoist a larger quantity of 
canvass. In the forenoon there was a heavy swell, which made 
