shore, as is well known, the colour was green, and in very shallow
places the water was muddy; but in deep water when the sun shines,
and when the surface is tolerably smooth, it is of a fine dark blue, with
a lustre very similar to that of common roofing slate. This colour put
me much in mind o f the blue cakes used by laundresses for bluing their
linens, and which I believe consist of cobalt blue mixed up with starch.
In cloudy weather the deep sea appears black: the sea in the ship’s
wake, in which there is abundance o f foam, has a fine green'colour.
These facts show us that the colour depends entirely upon the depth
o f the sea: accordingly it is a most accurate indicator o f changes
in depth.
I was very much surprised to find the temperature of the German
Sea so high. The summer of 18 12 was one o f the coldest that I ever
remember. In Edinburgh, the thermometer seldom stood higher than
6o°, and often considerably lower. The cold had been no less severe
in Sweden, where they complained of having had no summer at all:
yet on Friday I found the temperature of the surface of the sea 58°,
and on Saturday 62°, though the day was cloudy and rainy: perhaps
the rain contributed something to this high temperature.
On Saturday the 22d we made the coast o f Jutland in the evening.
The day was warm, but rainy and foggy, so that We did not see land
till we were close upon it, and some of the vessels were in some danger
of running ashore. The beach seemed low and sandy, and we saw no
marks of inhabitants.
Sunday was a delightful day. The sea was smooth as glass, the sun
was shining, and it was a perfect calm. So that we lay the greatest
part of the day not far from the Scaw point. The forenoon was employed
in fishing, and abundance of mackarel, gurnards, and some
whitings were caught. At three we went on board the gun-brig and
dined, and spent the evening with Captain Banks and his surgeon.
W e were treated with that true kindness and politeness which so characteristically
distinguishes the officers o f the British navy. For my
own part, I have seldom spent a more agreeable day. Next morning,
before breakfast, Captain Banks detained a small Norwegian vessel that
was crossing our track, obviously on her way to Denmark. The Captain
of this vessel breakfasted with us, and gave us to understand,
partly by signs and partly by means o f broken English, that he was
provided with a licence from the British government, and that he was
on his way to Great Britain. This Captain Banks informed us is the
manner in which the communication between Norway and Denmark is
kept up. The captains provide themselves with British licences, load
their vessels' for Denmark, and run across the Sleeve. I f they escape,
well; i f they meet with any o f our cruisers they show their licences,
and are left to prosecute their voyage ; or i f necessity obliges them,
they go to a British port and discharge their cargo. This evil cannot
be remedied except by putting an end to the licence system altogether;
which our government ought not to neglect as soon as practicable: as it
probably will be next summer, when the Russian ports will again give
us an opening into the continent.
When we went aboard our own vessel, on Monday after breakfast,
we were at Winga Beacon, which stands at the mouth o f the small bay
upon which Gottenburg is built. Few objects are more striking or
dreary than the Swedish coast when approached in this direction. The
bay is full of islands Consisting, without exception, of the most naked
and steril rocks I had ever seen. These rocks vary in height from a
few feet above, the level of the sea to nearly 300 feet. They are generally
long ridges, precipitous on one side, and sloping more gently
on the other. Not a single plant, not even a lichen or moss is to
be seen upon them. So that they appear utterly unfit to contribute
to the support of man. Yet here and there we saw small
wooden cottages appearing under the shelter of these rocks; inhabited
no doubt by fishermen and pilots, one of whom came aboard
our ship.
About ten miles below Gottenburg lay the Victory, Admiral Sir
James Saumarez: the only British man o f war at that time to be seen.
This vessel'is famous in the annals o f the British navy as being Lord
Nelson’s ship, on board of which he was killed at the battle o f Trafalgar.
It is now worn out, and in all probability will not go again to sea. The