afterwards passed to mine, where he found every thing apparently
quiet. Ijle then ^rew out his k^ife, and eros^d over to. Mr. Raw-
dich; my agony was excessive,but he only proceeded to a locker
close by, took out a piece of cold pprk, cut, off a large slice, and
bore it triumphantly away. • I greatly hoped that this proceeding
had passed unnoticed! by Mr. Rowdich, and I should certainly
have kept my own secret 5 but a peal of laughter soon convinced
me I had not escaped, and had for fife exposed myself to his
ridicule. I -was so ashamed, that I should not now haye related
the circumstance, but for the hojm it might serve as a useful
lesson to those of my own sex, who, like me, may indulge in
groundless apprehensions.
After having been tossed about by contrary winds for ten days,
the Captain evidently ignorant of hiSi.longitud®,' and uncertain of
his latitude, yet sopsxfectly atbis: ease-as to sleep half. $ie day,
and to grumble at beinga-woke in the night when squally, we
heard the cry of land; and though the Peak of Teneriffo is not
more than three days’ sail from Madeira, we scarcely regretted our
snail-like progress, when we went upon deck, and- enjoyed a, superb
view of this - stupendous mountain. 1 We passed within four miles
of the back of the island, and as. the weather was quite clear, its
snowy summit and smallest- peaks were visible. We fancied we
could tracethe routes of the illustrious travellers who had visited
it, and: this incident served to heighten Air. Rowdich s impatience
to explore 1'ogo. E
On the sixteenth clay we came in sight' of the island of Sal,
looking like a coffin of sandy and passing it, reached Rona Vista, a
name which must have been given in derision, for no , land was
ever so unpleasing to the siglit; being a mere sand.-bank, with
two peaks of bare basalt toward the middle, and not a trace of
vegetation or humanity. The collection of hovels, called the
town, is so completely hid in the bay, that being all strangers, and
thé harts defective, we passed it twice, withbut evéri guessing at
its situation. This obliged us to spend another flight Ón board,
With our provisions exhausted : we Cheered ourselves, however, by
the comforts we expected to share ori the morrow.
% The object of Mr. RoWdich’S visit to Rbnai 'Vista, was to secure
the good offices of Senhor Mdrtòèl Martins, hot only to forward
his scientific researches, but to Assist htfh iff proceeding to the
river Gambia. This person, front the nümbeï of his slaves, his
possessions in the different islands, arid-his exténsive commefee,
has acquired an influence and power^ which' rènder the Governor’s
authority nopiinal. ' H e had beén serit As deputy for the Cape de
Verde Islands, to the Cortes,' and upon the' return of absolute'
monarchy in Lisbon, as he was too powerful to affront, his services
were courted, to preserve tranquillity in these settlements. Circumstances,
of a commercial and friendly nature, had given the
house of Keir in Madeira' so strong a claim upon him, that wé
delivered our letter of recommendation to the Harbour Master to
forward, in the1 fullest cônndëncé that we shbuld bé! in pbsSession
of manifold comforts in a few hours : mid-day how ever arrived, and
no news from the shore ; and in the afternoon, completely worn
out with expectation and hunger, ; Mr. Bowcüch took the first boat
he could get, and proceeded to Senhor Manoel’s house. At séven
in the evening, having given up all thoughts of landing till the
next day, I made alsailor’s mesS of a remnant of chocolate found in
a basket, and som eoftheC aptain’s biscuit andsandysugar, for
which I insisted on paying ; and although eaten out of the
saucepan, it was delicious to 1 hungry iriouths.’ A t nine o’clock
Mr. Rowdich returned to the vesselj With a'basket of fresh'bisduit^
butter, wine-, sind oranges, generously supplied us by ata Englishwoman,,
who had been shipwrecked, and was with her husband,
waiting1 for an opportunity of returning to* England: I Was then
informed; that the Governor arid his-Whole suite were staying at