' I?8S-
Auraft.
boats that came along-lide us, and who never failto attend on
thefe occalions, well knowing that.a proper failor cannever go to
feawith a fafe confcicnce, whilft he has; any money in his pocket.
The ‘tide ferving about eleven o’clock, we weighed anchor, and
ftood for the-Downs. The water now began to have a greenilh
oaft, and-the-fhip having^a good .deal of motion, I began to feel
myfelf rather lick, but it prefentlywent olf, and I never felt any
thing-of it afterwards, which was rather extraordinary, as there
are few frefo-water lailors who are not troubled with fea-licknefs.
The perfpeclive might now be faid to have rather a nautical appearance,
as our diftance from Ihore was conliderable, though we
never loft light of.land.
’The flay was agreeable and pleafant, and wexame to anchor
about eight o’clock in the evening (without any material occurrence)
near Margate, that place fo much frequented in the feafon
.by the wives and daughters of the better fort of London citizens,
who refort here for the purpofes of drinking fea-water, walking
away the fmoke and dull of London, raping the manners of,people
in high life, pulling to pieces the reputation of their neighbours,
and carefully concealing any flaws intheirown. The wind being
fair, We again weighed anchor early in the morning, and after a
pleafant day’s foil, brought to a-breaft of Deal in the evening.
The lunation of Deal is pleafant enough, and .particularly convenient
for the contraband trade, which is carried on here to a
very great extent, on account of its vicinity to the Downs,, and the
Ihelter it affords for homeward-bound fliips. Add to this, the
inhabitants are men of a moll enterprizing and undaunted (pint,
defpiflng all dangers, and will Hick at nothing to accomplilh any
thing they undertake. Indeed no man can be a compleat (muggier
without the(e charaCteriltics.
The
h c
The wind being againll us, we lay here all the iff of Septem- 1785.
ber; but in the morning of the zd, a favourable breeze fpringing September-
up, we weighed anchor, and made fail. The adjoining coall leems
not to be in a high Hate of cultivation ; yet at times it affords
very agreeable prolpedls; particularly Dover, and its vicinity. I
could not behold the Caftle without calling to mind that celebrated'defcription
of the profpedl from it in our immortal Shake-
fpeare’s Ring Lear. The day beingipretty clear, we. could plainly
fee the Coall of France, and were in full view o f Albion’s chalky
cliffs, thofe objefts fo pleafmg to a failor, after a long voyage, and
which I ardently hope to have the fotisfaftion of again beholding
a few years hence. We had very little variety in our progrefs,. till
the yth, when a-veryheavy gale of wind fprung up, and our veffel -
was tofled about, at the mercy of the winds'and waves. Every
thing now. was hurry and diforder; and the creaking of the Ihipls
timbers, the noife of the people- on deck running backwards and
forwards, and , the howling of . the winds amongH the malts-and .
yards added to the general confulion.
During this*: Icene; I kept below in the lleerage, in a litu-
adon; not very agreeable-thou may ell be fore: indeed had I
given way to the Aril impulfes of fear, I foould have been more
dead than alive ; but I had reeolledtion enough to refledl, that our
Firll and Second Mates were experienced feamen, and that if
we were in any imminent danger, I fhould know it by their
countenances, which were. the. bkrometer by which I regulated
my feelings; and this prudent Hep a good deal leffened my
anxiety, for I learned from their difcourfe that they did not
apprehend any. great danger, except from a. lee Ihore, and we
bad day-light in our favour, and at a conliderable diftance from
land Towards the evening the ftorm abated, which , eafed my
apprehenfions, and I ventured on deck; but, good God ! how was
1 amazed