1804.) 
Spartel, anciently Ampelufie Promonto- 
rium. As we advanced, we gradually 
obiained fight of all the high land of 
Africa, that runs behind Tangier, Ceuta, 
&ce. and which terminates the north- 
weftern extremity of Mount Atlas. We 
entered the Streights at fun-fet, and on 
the morning of the 12th, we found our- 
felves paffing from the eaftern end of this 
magnificent natural portal into the Medi- 
terranean, juft at fun rife : 
<¢ Right againft the eaftern gate, 
Where the great fun begins his ftate, 
Rob’d in flames and amber light .” 
and who feemed to lift his full orb in a 
cloudlefs fky above the fartheft extremity 
of the Mediterranean, to gild the glorious 
profpeét before.us.” On our left the Bay 
of Algeziras, the town of St. Roque, Gib- 
raltar rock, the orange groves of Anda- 
lufia and all the high ground of Spain: -on 
our right, the thin flat marble rocks of the 
Streights peering over each other; the 
broad green paftures and milk- white town 
of Ceuta, the Bay of Tetuan and Mount 
Atlas, fnow-capped, extending its fum- 
mits full many a league into the interior 
of Africa, and right before us a cerulean 
fummer-fea. 
On the 13th, the wind became adverfe at 
noon, and we lingered off the high land 
of Grenada, which hides the little city of 
Almeria from the fight of feamen. I 
had every reafon to believe, that the moft 
beautiful and moft fertile part of Spain 
lay behind aifo; but alas! though we 
were. all convinced of its abundance in 
fruits and wine, the Captain dared not 
venture into the good harbour here before 
him; and I retired to reft this and the 
two following nights, as I had feveral 
preceding, dreaming of green fields, flow- 
ery meadows, and groves loaded with de- 
licious fruit, tarntalized almoft beyond en- 
durance. Indeed, I would willingly have 
ftopped here, at leaft for fome months, 
being invalid ; but I fear we too often, 
as I did, I believe, now, forego prefent, 
for diftant and imaginary gratifications. 
April 14 and 15, wind adverfe; fa- 
tiguing and tormenting; my only confo- 
lation was that I began to advance to in- 
terefting countries: that I faw on my 
left the fnow-topt mountains of Grena- 
da and Murcia lifting their white fummits 
near the clouds: that I tafted the air of 
Fenelon’s Betica, as vifited by Telema- 
chus; and that on my right, I had a 
glimpfe of the coaft of antient Numidia: 
recalling to my mind the featsof the Moors 
onone fide, and the pathetic appeal of 
‘VAAN 
Account of a recent Voyage to Malta. 543 
Adherbal againft the wiley villainics of 
Jugurtha on the other. 
On the 16th, a favourable breeze 
fprung up from the weft, which bore us 
along-fide a fmall veffel, from which we 
procured half a dozen oranges, a frw 
lemons, and fome Malaga wine. The 
fruit, fearcely gathered a week at Malaga, 
was fome confolation, though it almoft 
ferved to aggravate our thirft for more. 
To-day we faw many bonetas and {mall 
turtle afleep; one of the former was taken, 
and after being kept twenty-four hours, 
ate very firm and well, when ftewed in 
fome tart red malaga; it was generally 
approved, but not by every one. The 
beneta is from ten inches to two feet in 
length; they fwim f{wift, and in fhoals, 
and may be harpooned by the fhip’s fide. 
Onthe 18th, being Bafter Sunday, the paf& 
fengers and crew aflembled on the poop 
of the fhip, and heard divine fervice read = 
this was the firft time I had been called 
upon fince we had been on board. Saw 
feveral turtle, but could not take one. 
On the roth, feveral heavy fqualls; it 
pleafed God that our veffel wore through 
them with only the lofs of a fhattered fail, 
and a joint of the rigging. The weather 
continued blowing with a heavy fea, to 
the 2rft; it was fucceeded by dead calms 
and fine fun-fhine, till the 23d, when a 
breeze fprung up, which, to my real joy 
and fatisfaétion, brought us on the 25th, 
being Sunday, in fighi of tne Hifland of Sar- 
dinia ; as our captain had been a dreadful 
reckoner and knew not his longitude by 
120 miles. For an account of the an- 
cient ftate of this Ifland, fee Paufanias. 
D'Anville lcys down in bis maps, the 
cities of Calaris (now Cagliari) Olbia, 
Sulci, Jura, &c. as mentioned by Paufan- 
We lay toward the calm of the eve- 
ning, off the ancient Herculis Portus, and 
the promontory which hides the latter 
town, or that which fuceeeded it. With 
a glafs I could only difcern one low whire 
tower, whether ancient or modern I could 
not afcertain. We lof fight of it and bore 
toward Sicily next morning, and the whcle 
of the following day and night, careful 
to avoid certain very dangerous rocks, cal- 
led the Squills, that lay, we fuppofed, 
about thirty miles to the fouth of us; by 
the kindnefs of Providence, we experienced 
no evil from them; and on Tuefday morn. 
ing, the 26th, came in fight of the pro- 
montory of ancient Lilybaum, and the 
ilands vifible near the weftern extremity of 
Sicily. We failed along the fair coalt of 
Sicily all Tuefday and Wednefday near 
enough to diftinguifh its towns and groves 
wath 
