if
178s.
September.
voyage.—-Heigh-ho— I cannot help fighing to think what a cfiftance
I fhall foon be from---- but a truce with all melancholy
reflections, and whilft I exid, believe me to be, &c.
W. B.
G u e r n s e y ,. 1
.25th September. S
L E T T E R VI.
A T the conclufion of my lad I informed thee, that we only
waited for a fair wind to leave Guernfey, which fortunately
happened the next day, (viz. the 26th September) when we weighed
and made fail. On the 27th, we faw feven iflands, at about feven
leagues diffance. On the 28th, fait provifions were ferved out to
the fhip’s company. I already forefee, that in fulfilling thy
requed of mentioning every occurrence, I fhall make my letters
nothing but a dull repetition of tirefome and unintereding circum-
ftances. Here methinks I fee thee make a full flop, and with a
fmile, mutter to thyfelf, “ What the devil does the fellow mean ?
He furely has not the vanity to think that the bed of his letters
are any thing elfe than a heap o f dull, tedious fluff?” Well, if
this is thy opinion, I mod cordially agree with thee : however*
•were my abilities greater, it would be out of my power to avoid
tautology at all times. On the 30th, grog was ferved out, which
made all hands look brifk and chearful : thou art not to imagine
that I include our mefs in this ob'fervation, as we had a plentiful
dodk of our own, independent of the fhip’s allowance. We had
a drong gale of wind fince our leaving Guernfey : this I was
a familiar
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familiar to. Before I mention a circumdance that happened on *785- * 1 October.
Sunday the 2d of October, I mud inform thee that we keep the -t_ ,
Sabbath day in a decent and orderly manner : all hands appearing
as the Spectator fays: 0f country villages, on the fame occafion,
4 with their cleaned looks and bed cloaths, clearing away the rud
of the week,” and employ themfelves in reading good books, no
duty being carried on that can be avoided.
On the 2d, about noon, one of the people faw fomething at a
•didance, floating on the water; this immediately excited every
one’s curiofity, and we wifhed to have a nearer view of it, but
having little or no wind, the fhip would not obey the helm i we
prepared to hoid out our boat, but the tackles for that purpofe
were not at hand. In this dilemma, feveral of the people wifhed
to jump over-board, in order to fee what had fo engaged” our
attention, and to fave it if worth the trouble. At fird Captain
Dixon objected to this, for fear of fharks, or other accidents; but
there was no alternative, as the expected prize drifted: from us
every moment ; fo giving leave, two of the people-were in the fea
in a moment, and found it to be a large calk, entirely covered
with a kind of fhell-fifh, called barnacles. They prefently brought
it along-lide, and we hoided it on board. There is no doubt but
it had been in the water a long time, as the fifh were with difficulty
fcraped off, having nearly eat holes through the cafk : on examination,
it proved to be a hogfhead of claret. This might judly
be reckoned an acquifition, yet it is a melancholy reflection to
think, that no veffel would part with it but in the greated exigency,
and that we only profited by the didrefs of others.
Till the 13th, nothing particular occurred ; (we had feen drange
fhips at two or three different times, but not near enough to dif-
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