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I \ I ,fon. riiNi\yfir,/. t'eh',.-' i.%K hv U Sh>.1c.hi/.' ffi/f Af-t// . .1,-y. ..u/f' .// H.J '•^tm\*Mi;t:mf^imMiiiiiib^ -.iSmlm r. "1 J .iliUilu .I'/'A \rtth'* .iti.nhl. TOUR THROUGH PART Of THE ATLANTIC; OR, RECOLLECTIONS FROM .iliuihi ITlm.i I r.i',ih>., Jill %_ ' V' It ^-.X A o J A'r'f/^ * .ttt.ni.i. :madeira, the Azores (Or western isles), and newfoundland, (Including the Period of Discovery, Produce, Manners^ and Customs, of each Place, With Memorandums from the Convents,) VISITED IN THE SUMMER OF ISOQ^ IN H. M. S. VESTAL. By ROBERT STEELE, LIEUTENANT OF THE ROYAL MARINES. fVith an accurate Chart of the Ship's Track, LONDON: MINTED FOR J, J, STOCKDALE, 41, PMh'hlAtL, 1810. i I C' h Printed by. S. GosMtiii} Liule ttuccu Sticet, London, TO COMMODORE SIR JOSEPH SIDNEY YORRE, M, P. itfc. iSfc. &c. M Qt, London, Dear Sir, In the purest spirit of gra- titude, I dedicate my Recollections to you. Next to a beloved father, you have been my Friend and my Benefactor ;— youf precepts and example warmed my heart, and enlarged my understanding, when, in early years, I was called from his instruc- tion. These are the private virtues of your heart, Sir Sidney, and your public cha- racter can receive no additional lustre from eulogy ; for your unwearied professional services, and unshaken loyalty in the Senate, sire acknowledged by a grateful nation. A ^ 1 II ■ ii I iv DEDICATION. To be again under your command, and to receive your approbation, will be the hap- piest moment, and the brightest reward, which can, in this life, be conferred on, > 'i Deap Sir, Your most obedient, most faithful, And most humble Servant, ROBERT STEELE. H. M. S. VESTAL, Jan. 21, i8io, # m / I id, and to c the hap- st reward, •ed on. PREFACE- thful, ervant, ITEELE. A PERSON who ventures, uncalled, into the presence of a polished and enlightened people, is bound to make known his preten- sions to their favour and indulgence, and owes them an apology, at least, for the in- trusion.— Such was my answer to the invi' tation of some kind friends who wished mc to publish the observations I had made, with the result of my inquiries, during the late summer's cruize in the Vestal. They assured me there was nothing written on the Azores ; that these beautiful islands were comparatively unknown, and that my me- morandums could not fail to be well re- ceived. My youthful heart listened with delight to these suggestions, and the charm of being read, nay, perhaps, admired, may have too soon obtained a conquest over my better judgment. pp^^ n K •1 i VI PREFACE. By the title-page it will be found that it is not my profession to be learned ; and when I add, that although I have not yet attained my twenty-second year, I have been nearly seven years in the actual service of my royal Master and beloved Country, and that the following pages Vv'^re written while upon duty, many of them, in the language of my ' ancestor, *' during the silent watch of the night, when the mind was perfectly disen- gaged, and at leisure to run over the busy dream of day," I feel that I shall not be " judged by the fiery and terrible ordeal of rigid criticism. I am conscious of my ab- solute inability to give the sublime scenes I have witnessed, the beautiful and strik- ing graces of an elegant description ; and the errors of juvenile composition will bo too often manifest ; but my publisher would not accede to my desire that my notes should receive the pohsh of some profes- sional literary character, and I have, there-. T'REFACE. Vll 3und that it j and when yet attained been nearly f my royal id that the vhile upon -lage of my tch of the ;ctly disen- ;r the busy all not be t ordeal of Df my ab- me scenes md strik- tion; and n will bci publisher my notes le profes- ^e, there-. fore, endeavoured to compensate, in some measure, by fidelity, and a strict adherence to facts ; and can venture to affirm, that the differer t relations arc in rigid conformity to such resolution. The very peculiar nature of our voyage places it within my range to give a slight sketch of our valuable settle- ment at Newfoundland, where, although the prospect is suddenly changed from scenes that the most romantic fancy w^ould love to dswell upon, for the dull realities of spe- culative intercourse, the interest is not di- minished, and the patriotic heart enjoys the contemplation of a possession that has made a rapid progress, and forms a nursery for those gallant tars, who defend, with un- varied and brilliant success, the mother- country. I shall then take my first depar- ture from England, and only wish that the reader had a more intelligent companion. I assure him, that, if he be not highly gratified, it will not be from a want of interest in the vrii PREFACE* subject, but from the melancholy execution of the picture, and the lamented inexperience of the artist. •^-.. » ;f I propose in my narrative to measure back our track from Newfoundland to the Mores, thence again to Newfound- land, and to England via Lisbon; by which method the indulgent reader will, at least, derive the fruit of my labour, poor as it may be, without partaking of my anxiety for the fate of this my first essay. i Should my fellow-subjects require a peace-offering from my vanity, which thus induces me to appear before them, they will be merciful when I remind them of my rea- diness, in my professional character, to be a burnt-sacrifice in the service of a Country which 1 love, and of a Monarch whom I adore. execution of nexperiencc easure back id to the Newfound- isbon ; by ier will, at ur, poor as my anxiety A TOUR, require a vhich thus , they will :>f my rea- :ter, to be a Country whom I fJc. AMMii Nothing could be more gratifying, tod sanguine mind^ than a voyage of this nature, performed under the most agreeable and in- teresting circumstances, viz, the exercise of our profession, the increase of knowledge, and, above all, the service of our country* On the 13d of May we passed through the Needles from Spithead, and in twenty-four hours took our departure from the happy Isles, ever zealous in the sacred cause of Liberty* During a cruize in the Bay of lO A TOUR THROUGH Biscay wc spoke the Parthian sloop of war, the harbinger of glad tidings to our Sovereign and our country. — Wellesley had triumphed, and an oppressed nation began again to respire under the protection of his conquering sword. It was the birth-day of the King too, which increased the fervour of our hearts. The weather now became tem- pestuous, and for a few hours it blew an alarming hurricane, but gradually subsided ; when each succeeding day brought new hopes of success. From the first dawn of morning, till night veiled all in darkness, every sail was eagerly descried, chased, and examined, till the loth June, when it was necessary we should proceed on the voyage, and we steered the usual course for Madeira. The next day we fell in with His Majesty's ship Amazon; and on the 13th, in lat. 40, spoke the Emerald, called by the jack-tars one of the jewels. We carried a gentle but leading breeze till early on the morning of 1 sloop of ings to our ellesley had ation began :tion of his birth-day of e fervour of became tcm- it blew an y subsided ; ought new rst dawn of n darkness, :hased, and /hen it was the voyage, 3r Madeira. s Majesty's in lat. 40, le jack-tars I gentle but norning of "W THE ATLANTIC. II the 1 6th, when we made the island of Porto Santo, the smallest oi the Madeiras^ about eighteen miles in circumference, very sterile, and abounding only in rabbits. At a distance we saw the Desertas Islands, called, by the sailors, ** Deserters;'* and at four, P. M. anchored in the roadstead of Funchall, the capital of Madeira. The apex of this beautiful island is veiled in the clouds, a circumstanee which adds a gran- deur to the enchanting valley in which the city is situated. The houses are white, and agreeably diversify the picturesque graces of surrounding nature. The climate is de- lightful : being divided between spring and summer, vegetation is never checked, and the inhabitants breathe in the harvests of plenty. The iriodern discovery of this island by an Englishman, was attended by a circumstance so remarkable and affecting, that I cannot forbear inserting iu The par-' titulars are on record in the Rev. Stanier B 2 ^^^ / i; :^ 1 i' ^ '. 3 i '■ ^ 12 A TOUR THROUGH Clarke's " Naufragia," or Historical Me- moirs of Shipwrecks : but the narrative was originally written by Alcaforados, as fol- lows i If i; ill '* It uras in the glorious reign of Edward the Third of England, that Robert a Ma- cham, a gentleman of the second degree of nobility, whose genius was only equalled by his gallantry and courage, beheld and loved the beautiful Anna D*Arfet ; their attach- menit was mutual, but the pleasing hope gratified and betrayed their passion; the 1prid« of the illustrious house of Arfet render- ed them insensible to the happiness of their daughter ; they preferred the indulgence of ambition to the voice of duty and love. The feudal tyranny of the age was friendly to ttieir cruel design, and a warrant from the King seemed to justify the vanity of a pa- rent.. The consciousness of an ingenuous minii supported Macham in confinement; t )torical Me- larrative was dos, as fol- i of Edward obert a Ma- id degree of equalled by d and loved their attach- easing hope ission ; the Vrfet render- less of their idulgence of r and love. kVas friendly nt from the ty of a pa- ingenuous nfinement ; THE ATLANTIC. 1 3 its energy, thus compressed, sought only for redress ; nor did it yield to despondency, when, on being delivered from prison, he found the innocent cause of his persecution had been forced to marry a nobleman who had carried her to his castle near Bristol. The friends of Macham made his misfor- tune their own, and one of them had the address to be introduced, under the charac- ter of a groom, to the service of the af- flicted Anna. The prospect of the ocean, which, during their rides, extended before them, suggested or matured the plan of es- cape, and the probability of a secure asylum in, was opposed to the dangers of a passage to the coast of, France. Under pretence of receiving benefit from the sea air, the victim of parental ambition was enabled, without delay, to elude suspicion, whilst Macham, in the completion of his anxious design, was insensible to the particular season of the' year, or the portentous appearance of flie B 3 ^^^^B /■ h' r' f 1 • i i H A TOUR THROUGH weather, which in calmer moments he would have duly observed. The gradual rising of a gale of wind, rendered the astonished fu- gitives sensible of their rashness as the tempest approached ; the thick darkness of night completed the horrors of the scene. In their confusion the intended port was missed, or could not be reached ; their ves^ sel drove at the mercy of the winds, and in the morning they found themselves in the midst of an unknown ocean, without the skill that could determine their situation, or the experience that could direct their course. The dawn of twelve mornings returned without the sight of land ; when, at length, after a night of increased anxiety, as they watched the earliest streaks of day, an ob- ject loomed in the horizon. Continued dis- appointment produced a querulous despond- ency; whilst they alternately believed and doubted, the thick grey haze was dispersed by the rising sun, and a general burst of « ■1 * nts he would jal rising of tonishcd fu- less as the darkness of if the scene. d port was I j their ves.. inds, and in selves in the without the situation, or their course, igs returned n, at length, ety, as they day, an ob- jntinued dis- )us despond- believed and ;^as dispersed ral burst of THE ATLANTIC. »5 joy welcomed the certainty of land. A luxuriancy of trees, to whose appearance they Were utter strangers, was soon visible, and the beautiful plumage of unknown birds, which came in flocks from the island, gave at first the semblance of a dream to their astonishing deliverance. The boat being hoisted out to examine the coast, re- turned with a favourable account. Macham and his friends accompanied their trembling charge, leaving the rest to secure the vessel. The wildness of the adjacent country pos- sessed additional beauties to men escaped from destruction ; and the rich scenery of Madeira was again beheld, after a lapse of many centuries, by the eyes of Europeans. It was not only visited by the Romans, but, probably, also by the Normans, those skil- ful navigators, of whose discoveries we know so little, who preceded the Portuguese, and followed the Arabians, in nautical skill. An opening *n the extensive woods, that B 4 (^ i6 A TOUR THROUGH was encircled with laurels and flowery shrubs, presented a delightful retreat ; a venerable tree, the growth of ages, offered, on an adjoining eminence, its welcome shade ; and tlie first moments of liberty were employed in forming a romantic resi* dence with the abundant materials supplied by nature. Curiosity to explore their new discovery was increased by the novelty of every object they beheld. Their varied oc* cupation continued for three days, until the survey was interrupted by an alarming hur- ricane, that came on during the night, and rendered them extremely anxious for their companions who were left on board. The ensuing morning destroyed every prospect of happiness ; they in vain sought the vessel^ which had driven from her moorings, and was wrecked on the coast of Morocco, where, as it afterwards appeared, all on board were immediately seized for slaves, jind sent to prison. The afflicted Macham nd flowery retreat ; a ^es, offered, ts welcome of liberty mantic resi" ials supplied e their new ; novelty of r varied oc* y^s, until the arming hur- e night, and us for their )oard. The r prospect of X the vessel^ )orings, and f Morocco, red, all on I for slaves, :d Macheim THE ATLANTIC. I7 found this last trial too severe for his dis- consolate companion; her tender mind, overcome by the scenes she had endured, needed the conscious sense of a stiict dis- charge of duty to renew its strength. Fiom the moment it was reported the vessel could not be found, she became dumb with grief, expired after a few days of silent despair, and was soon followed by her inconsolable lover. The companions of Macham for- getting their own situation, were entirely oc- cupied in watching their emaciated friend j but all attempts to administer consolation were fruitless. On the fifth day they re- ceived his partmg breath and earnest injunc- tion — that they would place his body, in the same grave, under the venerable tree, which, amidst an agony of tears, they had made for the unfortunate victim of his te- merity, and where the altar that had been raised to celebrate their deliverance, would now mark their untimely tomb. This i8 A TOUR TMROUGH I I painful duty being performed, they fixed a large wooden cross over their grave, v/ith the inscription Macham had composed, to record their melancholy adventures, and to request, that if any Christians should here'- after visit the spot, they would, in the same place, build a church, and dedicate it to Christ. Having thus obeyed the dictates of friendship, they fitted out the boat, which, from their first landing, had been kept on shore. Their intention was to return, if possible, to England ; but, either owing to want of skill, to the currents, or to unfa- vourable weather, they were driven on the same coast with their "^i \'v ues, and joined them in the Moorish prison." Sir George Staunton says this story forms the subject of a picture in the hall of the government-house at Madeira; I was not aware of this circumstance, or I should have ascertained the fact, and hope for a future n they fixed a grave, vAth romposcd, to ures, and to should here'- in the same ;dicate it to he dictates of boat, which, een kept on ;o return, if ler owing to or to unfa- riven on the > a »d joined story forms hall of the I was not should have for a future THE ATLANTIC. »9 opportunity of doing so. The exact year of the discovery cannot be determined : the reign of Edward the Third, extending from ,227 to 1377— Galverno, on the authority of the Chronicles of Castile, says it was about 1 344-— Herbert places it in 1328, but the Rev. S. Clarke thinks both these dates give a longer imprisonment to Morales than is consistent with history ;— however, certain it is, that in 143 1, dunng ^^^ ^^'^^^ °^ J^^" the First of Portugal, illustrious for his ta- lents, his courage, and his prudence, it was conquered by the Portuguese, who called it Madeira, from its being covered with wood, which they burnt down, and the island was fertilized by the ashes. They planted it with vines, which produce incredible quan- tities of wine. The white grape is tho staple commodity, from which, it is com- puted, 26,000 pipes are annually made, and *oT which a moiety is exported to different quarters of the gl^be, and tkc remainder ; 4 « 11:1 ■.-I: I 20 A TOUR THROUGH used by the inhabitants. The usual price of this sort, called by the English mer- chants, *' Dry Madeira," is 48/. per pipe, but no offers will induce them to sell old wine; at their tables it is drank in the highest perfection, but three or four years is the average age for exportation, and to ex- ceed that would be, by them, considered as a breach of faith and of the interests of the commonwealth. The other sorts are called Tinto and Bastardo, and lastly the celebrated Malmsey wine. The grape from which tliis last is made, being of very rare growth, not more than five hundred pipes are made at a vintage, each pipe selling for 72/. The peculiar property of these exquisite wines is, that they keep extremely well in hot coun- tries, and actually improve from change of climate. The merchants are highly respect- able, and must always be esteemed for their strict mtegrity and polite attention to strangers. Their houses are spacious, and I- 'M ■- J^ H THE ATLANTIC. e usual price English mer- 8A per pipe, n to sell old rank in the four years is , and to ex- :onsidered as :erests of the rts are called le celebrated rom which are growth, are made at • 72/. The itc wines is, I hot coun- i change of hly respect- ed for their tention to cious, and many of them elegant, and their villas in the country exceedingly beautiful. I vi- sited, and was quite charmed with that of Mr. Page; it is situated about three miles on the acclivity, which is steep and gradual from the city, and commands the enchanting valley, the ships at the anchorage, and the Desertas Islands, together with a vast dis- tance of the sea, whereon the eye rests wearied by the expanse of water. Nothing can rival the splendid luxuriance of the avenue leading to the chateau : the most fragrant and beauteous flowers delight the eye and perfume the refreshing breeze. In the cool orange grove you contemplate the grounds which are skilfully disposed, and in the language of the poet- — ** The myrtles here in fond caresses twine ; There rich with nectar melts the pregnant vine," In fact, this lovely place brought to my memory the described Eden of our first pa- 1 I ^^^ m ! I if ; if:\ 22 A TOUR tHROUGH rents, nor did I want the endearing elegance of female friendship to heighten the compa- rison. f«r But we will return to the general claims of the island to our attention. It is si- tuated in lat. 32^ 371' N. and Jong. 1 7** 5' W. and of a parallelogram ic form ; its length, from a geometrical survey, from W. N, W. to E. S. E. about thirty-seven miles, and breadth eleven miles. It contains thirty- bcven parishes, and its inhabitants are com- puted to be eighty thousand. ' It is pleasant to those who visit or reside here, to be assured there is not a venomous animal to be seen ; neither have they ever been known in the Azores, and it is sup- posed, if brought to them, would soon die; but there are innumerable lizards, which are perfectly harmless and inoffensive. '^ 3H THE ATLANTIC. Qi$ aring elegance m the compa- 2;eneral claims n. It is si- ng. 1 7*^ 5' W. ; its length, mW. N,W. n miles, and itains thirty- mts are corn- visit or reside t a venomous ave they ever id it is sup- uld soon die; Is, which are ve. The city has been very much improved of late from the exertions and good regulations of the municipal authority; and the streams of water which run through all the streets, instead of being a receptacle for filth, are now taken advantage of to promote their clean- liness, and are a fountain of comfort to fif- teen thousand inhabitants. They have one principal mall, where the more genteel people usually take the air ; and although it is circumscribed, from being in the heart of the town, it is kept in neat order, and centinels are placed to exclude the rabble, and preserve the border, which is nicely planted. The military parade is ge- nerally attended by the first ranks, the band having many attractions, and disgracing the Portuguese troops, which are wretchedly bad, in all their appointments. i, I I: :1! ' i t A TOUR THROUGH The heat is by no means oppressive. Berge's thermometer was usually at 69^ and seldom rose higher than 74 and 75, and when the snow is on the mountams, stands at about 64. It appeared to Dr. Gillan, who was phy- sician to the Earl of Macartney *s embassy to China, and made a philosophical survey of this island, when the embassy touched at it on its way out, that ** there had been se- veral craters in the island, and that eruptions had taken place at various and distant in- tervals. This was particularly manifest at a place near the Brazen Head, where might easily be counted twelve different eruptions of lava from neighbouring craters." ** The chain of the highest mountains of Madeira has hardly |any volcanic appearance. The clouds envelope frequently their tops, and from them descend all the streams and rivu- lets of the island. Their antiquity is Ir^itl: ni THE ATLANTIC. 25 ns oppressive. ally at 69% and and 75, and mtains, stands who was phy- y*s embassy to hical survey of y touched at it ; had been se- that eruptions md distant in- y manifest at a > where might :rent eruptions The ters. y» (s ins of Madeira earance. The leir tops, and :ams and rivu- antiquity is marked by the deep chasms, or gulfs, they have formed in their descent between the ridges of the rocks, during the long lapse of time they have continued to flow. In the beds of these rivulets are found pebbles of various sizes, and large round masses of silex, such as are usually met with in the beds of many similar torrents in the Alps. The soil also of the fields and pasturage-grounds appears the same as those of the continent, where no volcanic fire has ever been sus- pected ; but it is probable that the bay or beach of Funchall is a segment of a large crater, the exterior part of which has sunk into the sea; for, on the beach, the shining or blue stones are all of compact lava; and tempestuous weather always throws large masses of the same blue lava stone, and also a quantity of cellular lava, upon the shore; moreover, the Loo Rock and landing- place opposite to it to the westward of Fun- chall Bay, as well as that upon which Fort w f t {■: f I. lit' 1 . • i it ^TOUR THROUGH St. Jago is constructed, are evidently per- pendicular fragments of the edges of the crater, which have hitherto resisted the ac- tion of the sea, hy having been better sup- ported, or having more closely adhered to- gether, though much worn by the violence of the surge. They bear not the least resem- blance to the neighbouring rocks a little within shore. The island abounds in de- licious fruits and vegetables j fish of many kinds are taken on the coast, but herrings and oysters are unknown to them, and great quantities of salted cod are imported from America. » ^.,^1 ■|i« On landing, you are forcibly struck with the peculiar costume, as well as the courtesy, of the lower orders of the people, who arc, many of them, employed carrying on the brisk trade of the place. Cattle of all kinds are used to transport their merchandise. Zll evidently per- edges of the sisted the ac- en better sup- y adhered to- r the violence he least resem- rocks a little 30unds in de- fish of many but herrings em, and great mported from !y struck with ; the courtesy, pie, who arc. Tying on the le of all kinds merchandise. THE ATLANTIC. 2"] which they do on sleds, with admirable care and celerity. People of figure generally take the air in a cotton hammock, called a serpentine, car- ried on their slaves' shoulders, with the as- sistance of a bamboo twelve or fourteen feet long. These hammocks are of various colours, adorned to the taste and fortune of the owner, who is supported by cushions, and, over his head, falls a curtain, with which he conceals himself at his pleasure; but, should he be so disposed, he salutes, en passant, or enters into long conversations with his acquaintance. Meanwhile the slaves rest the serpentine on iron forked staffs, which they each carry in their hand, for that purpose. The principal British merchants, also, have these luxurious ham- mocks, in which the ladies appear particu- larly fond of swinging. Two slaves will go several miles in a day, with a heavy per- c 2 w 28 A TOUR THROUGH ?^ . son, in one of these machines, with appa- rent case and astonishing celerity, nor do they require an extraordinary refreshment. "The number of persons one meets in the ecclesiastical habit reminds us of our uni- versities, and the time and fortune of the people seem devoted to their romantic reli- gion. The costly decorations of their churches, and the pomp and pageantry of their solemn ceremonies, are extravagant to a great degree ; yet, on entering their sacred temples, we acknowledge no .sentiment of devotion, and the gaudy trappings by which we are surrounded, remove every impression of piety and prayer. Here are but few convents, and those principally composed of aged persons, A curious ceremony was recently performed by the sisters of one monastery joining those of another; and their gloomy walls, hallowed to / / JGH les, with appa- fity, nor do they Eshment. ae meets in the us of our uni- fortune of the r romantic reli- itions of their ad pageantry of extravagant to a ing their sacred DO .sentiment of trappings by , remove every er. mts, and those ed persons, A ly performed by joining those of alls, hallowed to k THE ATLAKTIC. 49 peace and penitence, were then converted to barracks for the officers of the British troops. The influence of power, or the suggestions of fancy, can scarcely be ima- ^ gined to effect a more ridiculous metamor- .^j phosis than this, which was most probably produced by chance or emergency. The Portuguese character seems to exist in an inverted order, and forms a striking contrast to the Spanish. A Castilian noble- man is a renowned instance of noble honour and unsullied virtue. The Portuguese su- perior, insensible to both, falls from every fine sentiment that can dignify or adorn a character, while their plebeians preserve a decorum, in their general demeanour, and ainongst themselves, that is hardly credible, and not even acknowledged in the lower orders of the Spanish nation ; they are also recovering from that abandoned indolence, wrapt in which, and a great coat, they c 3 i \ : i m I •, ^ I '-1 ■■,* in 30 A TOUR THROUGH would go lollihg about, wliile their wives and daughters were labouring for their daily- bread. I wish I could say as much for their morgadas, or esquires, in whom idle- ness appears to have taken a fixed root, and whom nothing rouses from this abominable apathy. Even in their societies, the men generally associate together, and the ladies • retire to a different apartment, which to an Englishman^ who derives a peculiar charm from female friendship, is truly irreconci- lable. The women are pubescent very young; and, as in other warm countries, their bloom soon goes off, and they wither into apparent age. They are generally ra- ther low in stature, with dark complexions, but gain a lively cast from most penetrating eyes and fine teeth, which, by the way, none of them forget to beautify. However, you scarcely meet a Portuguese lady ; they seldom go out, but to mass, matins, or vespers, and are then so disguised, in large ^^1 ;!|| Ml •U X. ^^,: le their wives for their daily as much for in whom idlc- ixed root, and lis abominable tics, the men and the ladies , which to an peculiar charm "uly irreconci- )ubcscent very irm countries, ad they wither 2 generally ra- : complexions, ost penetrating by the way, fy. However, ese lady ; they s, matins, or uiscd, in large THE ATLANTIC. 3< 4 hoods, that it would require a considerable effort of the imagination to become ena- moured of them. Their language maybe called the eldest daughter of the Latin, but has been corrupted by their intercourse with the Moors J it is harmonious and pleasant to the car, and, although it has a nasal twang, it is far less displeasing than that which pre- vails in the French. Literature is at a very low ebb amongst them, and they seek in- different translations with avidity. I have lately perused a most skilful and elegant re- trospect of their letters in the Quarterly Re- view of May 1 809, and am sincerely indebted to that accomplished work, for some very valuable and interesting information. 1 re- ceived extreme pleasure, too, from Lord Strangford's fascinating *' Camoens," and was surprised and disappointed to find they have nothing like a great poem in their lan- guage. On speaking of their passion for epic poems, the Review says, " Many pas- c 4 V I n N' B 3* A TOUR THROUGH sages of striking beauty are to be found in these long works, and instances of extraor- dinary absurdity and whimsical taste arc still more frequent. There is scarcely one amongst them that wouIJ not supply mate- rials for an amusing analysis, and specimens sufficient to rescue the author from con- tempt, and reprieve him from oblivion. The inimitable romance, * Amadis of Gaul,* appears to have been one of their earliest productions, and perished in manu- script at the great earthquake at Lisbon ; and it is very remarkable, that this fantastic nation has nothing like a modern novel ex- tant. The bright glory of the Spanish theatre had eclipsed the Portuguese when its shadow was completed by the Castilian usurper, whose policy encouraged Portu- guese authors even to write m Spanish ; and since the Braganzan revolution, the drama has gradually declined, till, latterly, the opera has shamefully supplanted it as a fa- be found in J of cxtraor- ;al taste arc scarcely one upply mate- d specimens from con- n oblivion. Amadis of )ne of their ed in manu- Lisbon ; and lis fantastic rn novel cx- he Spanish ese when its he Castilian ^ged Portu- ;)anish; and , the drama latterly, the d it as a fa- 9»H THE ATLANTIC. 33 shionablc amusement. The horrible Inqui- sition, instituted 1526, by John ill. (of which a History, general and secret, is about to be published by Mr. J.J. Stock- dale), although disrobed of many of itb ter- rors, is yet too fatal a censor, for the great palladium of our constitution, the liberty of the press, to be even known amongst them: and this may account for their rareness in modern travels. A tour through Great Bri- tain, for instance, would give the visitor more liberal ideas than would pass their or- deal, and no work dare be published till it has gone through several subordinate courts, and received a license from this tribunal, who, at their whim and caprice, draw a pen through whole pages, and insist on their im« mediate correction, or punish the trembling offender. This authority extends, in all its rigour, to their colonies, where they keep familiars, but who have insensibly relaxed, as the power of their action lessened, and Wl 34 A TOUR THROUGH m «i^ :iJ they are in some parts withdrawn ; yet it seems but a fliir tribute to the Portuguese, to say, that in national history they are hardly equalled by any country. In the ze- nith of their glory, men lived who could, and did, leave monuments of achievements, at that time unrivalled by any nation. A new Royal Academy has been established by their present Queen, which we may hope will, in the days of tranquillity, and when the clouds that at present hang over the ca- pital, are dispersed, and the splendid sun of royalty shine amongst them, be of good ef- fect to the nation, and become the fountain of a plenteous stream to enrich the world." On the 24th Dec. 1 807, General Bercsford, with the 3d and nth regiments, &cc. under his orders, summoned the island to surrender to His Majesty's arms. He expected resist- ance, but nothing could be more conciliating than the conduct of the Governor, who gave H fawn; yet it Portuguese, ry they are In the ze- who could, :hievements, nation. A ;tablished by i may hope \ and when over the ca- Jndid sun of of good ef- he fountain le world." :il Bercsford, &CC. under :o surrender scted resist- concihatiug , who gave THE ATLANTIC. 35 directions for pitching the tents, and prov curing a provision of vegetables and fresh beef for our troops. The joy of the Eng- lish merchants on this event can be better conceived than described, as they had reason to expect a similar summonp; from a French authority. The British flag was, of course, hoisted, and the General took possession of the government- house; however, the proper representations being made to our court, iht Portuguese flag was graciously ordered to be re-hoisted, the Governor to resume his functions, and all the force to be with- drawn except the eleventh regiment of looo strong, and a detachment of Royal Artillery under the command of the Hon. Major-ge- neral Meade. Madeira is well defended by nature and |fl||vall points, where a debarkation can be cffecced, being enfiladed with cannon ; and the coast, in general, rocky, with a lashing l:i 'HI ! i .1 i i . , H !il:|jji^ 36 A TOUR THROUG H and destructive surge, which forms a strong barrier to invasion. The revenue of the island is, at present, given up to defray the enormous expense of cutting a vast aqueduct to prevent a recur- rence of the calamity which attended the de- luge from the mouniains, wherein several hundred persons were destroyed, and every thing swept before it. A large number of workmen are instantly employed, and make a fair promise of soon completing their great work. i'^iil: t ,^ In the roads we found His Majesty's ships Hindostan and Dromedary, going with Lieutenant-colonel Macquarie, as Go- vernor, and the 73d regiment, to New South Wales ; also the Magicienne frigate, and a transport with a detachment of^^ aist Light Dragoons, under the orders^ Captain A. Hawkes, on the passage to the >rms a strong s, at present, LIS expense of vent a recur- mded the de- lerein several d, and every e number of d, and make ig their great s Majesty's ary, going arie, as Go- » to New me frigate, lent of^p e orders of >sage to the THE ATLANTIC. 37 Cape of Good Hope. The following even- ing a grand gala was given to the British Consul, and a large party, by Captain Lu- cius Curtis, on board the Magicienne. The quarter-deck was tastefully arranged for the festive dance; olive-branches were inter- woven with the royal ensigns of our country, ornamented w^th the most fragrant and beau- tiful flowers; while the native graces and animated spirits of our countrywomen, who seemed enlivened by the recollection that every thing about them was belonging and devoted to dear England, made it a very happy scene. On the 1 9th of June, the con- voys proceeded on their voyage, and on the a I St, we reluctantly left as beautiful an island as any in the world, of which it may be justly said to be ** one of those com- plete prospects to which no ideal beauty can be added,'* ■,( i iflll I ;4 lillil i'^! '^'8 jO A TotJR THROUGH The calms that so frequently occur in these mild latitudes, now fell around us, and the following morning opened to the utmost tranquillity of the elements. These, with occasional light airs, continued for six days, which, of course, much protracted our arrival at St. Michael's, whither we were bound; but the vast ocean on which we floated, in itself a world of mighty won- ders, afforded us infinite amusement. We took a considerable number of fine turtle of the hawk Vbill species, which is hardly in. ferior to the green turtle that is so esteemed from the West Indies. An epicure might have envied our voluptuousness. Dolphins are very frequent here. They chase the flying.fish, which rise and take wing for se- veral yards, and, in their terror, have been known to ^y a quarter of a mile, like the witches of old, in the wind's eye, to avoid their beautiful destroyers, which, in their turn, become a prey to the shark, and die sir nily occur in II around us, opened to the lents. These, inued for six ch protracted whither we an on which mighty won- 5ement. We fine turtle of is hardly in- so esteemed picure might >. Dolphins y chase the wing for se- *, have been ik, like the ye, to avoid :h, in their rk, and die THE ATLANTIC. 39 more beauteous than the rainbow. It is re- markable, that if one of a shoal of these sportive creatures be so hurt as to draw blood, he is instantly devoured by the rest. An in- stance happened in our sight : the poor ani- mal was struck by a javelin, when it seemed aware of its second fate, and darted from the shoal ; but being closely followed, it made a desperate spring from the water, and became their sacrifice. The voracious shark is here also of prodigious size and power. It sel- dom nears the ship, but, when hungry, swallows any thing that comes in its way, turning on its side when it makes its horrid bite. The method used, with almost certain success, by the Indian divers, for the de- struction of this terrific monster, is curious. They dive under the fish when it turns to make the bite, and stab it in the belly, where the wound is mortal. ill !' r 40 A TOUR THROUGH A sailor seems to bear an instinctive incli- nation to extirnate this general enemy to the creation ; but : , indeed can see the destruc- tive monster without emotion and painful remembrance of the many authenticated in- stances of its fatal and carnivorous appetite ? On the sixth evening, we saw a watcr-spout, which, although not so distinct as many have been, very much pleased me; but I refer my reader to the second canto of Fal- coner's Shipwreck, where, as he, no doubt, bears in mind, is a most excellent and very correct description of the liquid column •• which towering shoots on high.'* ''U 1,1 ■ t k ^. i i i ,| A fair wind sprung up, and on the ist July we made St. Michael's, but a change directly contrary, kept us till the ^d, when we an- chored in the roads of the Ponta del Gado, the capital of this island, which is the chief of the Azores. The Azores^ or Western Islands, extend from 37'' to 39° 42' N. lat. GH istinctive incli- I enemy to the see the destruc- m and painful thenticated in- ^rous appetite ? a water-spout, tinct as many sd me; but I 1 canto of FaU J he, no doubt, client and very iquid column ligh/ THE ATLANTIC. 41 » on the 1st July :hange directly when we an- >nta del Gado, ch is the chief r, or Western f 42' N. lat. and from 2.5° to 31' W. long, and lie almost midway between Europe and America. They are said to have been discovered in the middle of the fifteenth century by J©shua Vander Berg, of Bruges, in Flanders, who, in a voyage to Lisbon, was, by stress of weather, driven to these islands, which he found destitute of inhabitants, and called them Flemish Islands. On his arrival at Lisbon, he boasted of this discovery; on which the Portuguese, in that spirit of en- terprise, so strongly marked in their adven- tures of the day, immediately set sail and took possession of them, calling them Azores from the many hawks and falcons found among them. They are nine in number, and are named, Santa Maria, St. Miguel or Michael, Tercera, St. George, Graciosa, Fayal, Pico, Flores, and Corvo. As I purpose describing the islands in detail as we visited them (at least those most worthy notice and consideration), I shalj 1 1 y iii ■ 42 A TOUR THROUGH merely observe in the aggregate, that the importation of British manufactures (being the principal) amounts to about 30,000/. sterhng annually ; and tliat from the United States they receive boards, staves, rice, fish, pitch, tar, iron, in pots and bars, and a variety of Indian goods, which are paid for, in exchange, by wines. They have occasional intercourse with Russia also. The sea-accustomed eye is sweetly relieved by the fertile appearance of St. Michael; every point seems cultivated, and bears the charm of plenty. As the industry of its inhabitants is greater, so it surpasses in value all the other islands, and may be con- <»idered the granary of Lisbon. It is nearly one hundred miles in circumference; con- tains One city, five principal towns, fifty- four parishes, and about eighty thousand inhabitants. It was twice invaded and pil- laged by the English in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. The coast is very bold, and JGH regale, that the ifacturcs (being about 30,000/. Tom the United , staves, rice, s and bars, and vhich are paid s. They have Russia also, weetly relieved St. Michael ; , and bears the ndustry of its t surpasses in d may be con- 1. It is nearly iference; con- towns, Hfty" jhty thousand ^aded and pil- •eign of Queen ry bold, and THE ATLANTIC. 43 may be approached, without fear, in almost every part. Its military strength consists of 200 troops in the most deplorable and insubordinate state, with 6000 peasantry, whose arms are the pikes with which they drive the cattle ; but over such a rabble, a handful of disciplined men would gain an immediate and decided victory. The prin- cipal fortification is the castle of St. Bray, which is close to the sea, on the west end of the Ponta del Gado. It consists of twenty- four pieces of cannon, but few of which are capable of service ; and a league to the eastward of the Ponta del Gado are two small three-gun forts, sans every thing in re- gard to efficiency ; but the island is, in itse/f, susceptible of a most rigid defence. It has many strong local holds; and several of the hills and passes, if judiciously fortified, and the guns well served, woujd be absolutely impregnable. ! 9 2 { 44 A TOUR THROUGH ' Iff !■; I I ' "i I am the more surprised at the confidence in which the Portuguese slumber in their imaginary security, when I consider of what ineffable advantage this island would be to the French, who, from its critical si- tuation, could so effectually annoy our out and homeward bound trade, and make it 9 shelter for our captured merchantmen. Many Spanish vessels took refuge here last war from our cruizers, and unloaded their cargoes till good opportunity offered of re- shipping them, for Spain, by neutrals. The inhabitants maintain an extensive commerce with England, whence they are entirely- supplied with woollens, hardware, earthen- ware, and various other necessaries, send- ing in exchange fifty or sixty sail of ves- sels annually with fruit, which is produced here in vast abundance. The sugar-can« and coffee-tree likewise flourish here. The climate is so remarkably genial, that both European and tropical plants come to \ \ ii. ^..,,4*'* UGH at the confidence lumber in their I consider of lis island would m its critical si- f annoy our out , and make it f merchantmen, refuge here last unloaded their ty offered of re- "f neutrals. The nsivc commerce ley are entirely Iware, earthen- cessaries, send- ty sail of ves- ich is produced rhe sugar-cant flourish here. )Iy genial, that plants come io THE ATLANTIC. 4i .great perfection — a kindness in nature towards these islands alone. Their cattle are equal to ours, and superior to any in the world beside ; and their wine pleasant, and adapted to the climate. Corn, pulse, poul- try, and vegetables, are good and very rea- sonable. These combined benefits render the revenue very considerable. Besides the support of the military and civil establish- ments, 80,000 mille rees, each the value of one dollar, are, annually, sent for the use of the State, and might be much increased under men of probity and honour,, The Ponta del Gado, or city, as they term it, like Funchall, looks exceedingly pleasant from the offing, and derives an air of dig- nity from the convents, which are nume- rous, and many of them considerable build- ings ; bnit how lamentable is it to think they are the melancholy confinement of numberless charming, and, some jf them, »3 '^i L{i> 46 A TOUR THROUGH aM-,. m i\r. 1 rlWfllf ■ very accomplished women, imprisoned from the joys of domestic happiness by the authors of their bemg, in whom the power- ful pleadings of nature have been neglected, and the prayers of their devoted offspring disregarded. — Yes ! — Avarice and vanity, that their sons may l^vc in luxury, have ope- rated thus powerfully on the degraded mind, and blunted the feelings of a father. How must the humane heart sympathize with these tender sisters of misfortune, in whom the gentle glow of filial gratitude and love is chilled for ever ! and, alas ! they arc veiled from the sacred offices of a faithful wife and fond mother. How erroneous is the generally received opinion, that their seclusion is at their own wish ! From what I have myself learnt of them, and the many instances given of their absolute aversion to become the victims of a delusive faith, I am convinced that two thirds, at least, arc under the hard and direful necessity of obe- : II iprisoncd from )incss by the om the power- )ecn neglected, ^uted offspring ; and vanity, jry, liave ope- thc degraded gs of a fithcr. rt sympathize misfortune, in :1 gratitude and alas ! they arc i of a faithful low erroneous lion, that their ! From what , and the many ute aversion to lusive faith, I ;, at least, arc cessity of obe- THE ATLANTIC. 47 dicncc. I cannot avoid relating a notorious instance of this fact— it lately occurred at the convent Esperanza, and was the topic of general conversation at the Ponta del Gado when we left it : — Two young noviciates had evinced the strongest dislike and repugnance to take the veil — their inhuman father persisted in his plan^they prayed, they intreated their return to liberty, to their home, and to so- ciety ; but, when the monster found his so- phistry and persuasion availed not, he had recourse to threats, and even insinuated that their lives would be endangered by their hesitating at the awful moment, when they were to pass an irrevocable sentence on themselves for ever !— The awful moment came — they were unable to support the tor- rent of their feelings, and sunk in woe un- titterable, while the ceremony was, for the greater part, performed, though they were 15 4 i ,-fii ■ 1 1 r; I 48 A TOUR THROUGH insensible to all that passed. But to the sequel. The son, for whom the sacrifice was made, has proved an outlaw to every virtuous sentiment of duty and feeling : the penitence of the wretched father awakens compassion, and an involuntary tear startles at the altar of his contrition. I had the good fortune to visit the con- vents with some persons well known and highly esteemed, most particularly so those of St. Andrew, St. John, and Con- ception. In the latter are seven sisters, all extremely interesting, and who bear a stronger affinity to our own lovely coun- trywomen than any I have met with. What feelings must these scenes create in k heart at all devoted to a sex full of claims to our protection and love ! There is a cerfi- mony in obtaining an audience that must be duly observed :--At one of the entrances is « box, at which you knock, and are politely UGH But to the m the sacrifice outlaw to every id feeling : the father awakens ary tear startles THE ATLANTIC, 49 1:1 o visit the con- ill known and Particularly so ohn, and Con- : seven sisters, d who bear a n lovely coun- ive met with. nes create in k j11 of claims to here is a cere- re that must be le entrances is « nd are politely answered by one of the nuns, who take turns at this duty ; you then ask the favour of seeing your friend, and should it not in- terfere with, or intrude on the duties of the convent, with the permission ot the lady abbess, you are directed to a particular porch, w^here you meet and converse, through an iron grate, which is the utmost limit of their indulgence, and the boundary of their social happiness. It is not unfre- quent for one of these agreeable girls to have a favourite, and carry on a lively corre- spondence, with all the endearments a Pla- tonic attachment can admit; endeavouring to persuade then*belves there is no barrier to the completion of their wishes; but, alas! the fatal vow too often recurs, palsies the throbbing heart, and marks a dejection on the countenance, that the languid flash of a Ijeauteous eye cannot dissipate. They evi- dently feel under restraint in the presence of Portuguese visitors, and as soon as they with- 1^ so A TOUR THROUGH T ■,Vf IIS draw, conversation takes a new and sprightly ti'rn. They arc refined, delicate, and graceful ; and should you present them with a token of friendship, they make handsome returns of fruits, preserves, and also artifi- cial flowers, which are made by themselves in great beauty and elegance. The officers of the Vestal were in high estimation among them ; and from their having been there twice before, and paid them every polite and endearing attention, became ca^ ressed favourites. On the ship^s coming to anchorage she was instantly recognised, and white handkerchiefs were thrown out at each convent in token of their joy and agreeable surprise ; and on her leaving the port, every kind wish and prayer for the happiness and success of their heroes was wafted to heaven in their sighs. Many of them have a fine taste for music, and, on special occasions, they have oratorios, when their orchestra is grand and full. Each part L V and sprightly delicate, and ent them with akc handsome tid also artifi- by themselves ■^he officers ih estimation having been J them every , became ca* >*s coming to :ognised, and rown out at ^leir joy and • leaving the ayer for the ' heroes was . Many of sic, and, on torios, when Each part THE ATLANTIC. 51 is filled by these fiiir daughters of St. Ce- cilia, in a manner, evidently the conse- quence of polite education. The Senhora Theresa Jacinta Amalia, of the convent of St. John, is mistress of the band, at their jubilee, and possesses exquisite talent. She performs on several instruments, and unites extraordinary powers of voice, with the most refined taste and moving expression, equalled by nothing I have heard, since the fascinating Italian, Catalani. Their style of composition is very fanciful; I have been perfectly ravished with a plaintive can- zonet and guitar accompaniment from the elegant Theresa; in fact, there is a charm in this female not to be resisted. The manners and customs of the convents do not much differ, at least in regard to their outward forms and appearance, which is all I can speak to, their interior regula- tions being mentioned with the utmost pre- liW' Ifnf Ml- ; i* o|!= vm <■! 52 A TOUR THROUGH caution and delicacy. Their dress is a black habit, the hair cut clo.se, and a sort of mob cap : the holy veil, which their trembling lips have kissed, falling back on their shoulders. Their superior, or lady abbess, is elected for a limited period, usually three years, and is then succeeded by another of the sisterhood. Great friendship and har- mony seem to exist among them ; they are acquainted with every proceeding in the neighbourhood, and some of them are even conversant with the politics of Europe. But. even in these gloomy walls where they ari confined like malefactors in a dungeon, they derive at least one of the greatest benefits of the world, an eJucatioH ; and which, were they i„ the world, they would not receive , for, strange as it may seem, even the daugh' ters of the people of entailed property and independence, are, many of th«n, ignorant pf their letters,— yes !— of their ABC T n GH dress is a black a sort of mob leir trembling )ack on their r lady abbess, . usually three by another of 5hip and har- lem ; they arc eding in the them arc even i^urope. But, licre they are ungeon, they est benefits of which, were not receive; n the daugh- 5roperty and ^^y ignorant ABCT THE ATLANTIC. 53 Si Nor can it longer be a matter of surprise that their 6e//es lettres should be so uncul- tivated, and that they should scarcely have a polite writer of their language. To be attached to the country we are born in, is as instinctive as the love we bear to our parents ; but how does this honourable pre- dilection increase, when, in a distant region, you feel its superiority ! Thus, when I was informed and convinced of the foregoing circumstance, the wit, beauty, and accom- plishments of my unrivalled countrywomen, could not but press upon my grateful re- membrance. There are two frieries in the city, of the Franciscan and Dominican orders. The sostume of the former is a black habit, with a monstrous, white, broad-brimmed hat, a girdle and cross, and the hair shaved from the top of the skull. The Dominican is a -'V'-L ^' Lf! ^.iii li »i. 54 A TOUR THROUGH white habit, with some distinction, that I could not ascertain, having seen but one of the order, which is -ery much reduced in number. However, we visited the Fran- ciscans, who are numerous j they received us vejy kindly, kd us through their apart- ment, offered us wine, and shewed us their chapel, which is gaudy, but has an ex- tremely good organ. Several of them ac- companied us on board the frigate, and en- tered, with great glee and humour, into the merits of our wine, with an apt partiality, forgetful of their monkish tenets, for those of the most powerful quality. Under the influence of their own spirit they are very slothful, and have none of that lively inte- rest in the manners of the day, that so strongly marks the character of the sister- hood. In short, a sensation of disgust is inevitable at these torpid instances of igno- ranee and superstition; and whose ethics, I: )UGH istinction, that I seen but one of nuch reduced in isited the Fran- s ; they received Ligh their apart- shewed us their but has an ex- ral of them ac- frigate, and en- umour, into the n apt partiality, tenets, for those ty. Under the it they are very that lively inte- - day, that so r of the sister- 1 of disgust is itances of igno- whose ethics, THE ATLANTIC. SS moral principles, and habits of life, are, by no means, honourable. There is no manifest difference, in this place, from Funchall, but it is deficient in the salu- tary regulations of it, from the neglect of the civil authorities to keep the streets clean and clear of pigs and cattle, which area great nui- sance, especially in the heat of the day. But what can be expected, when we know, that, from the governor and judge, to the very mule-drivers, exist corruption and filth ? It can hardly be credited, that an officer of rank in our navy went, on a point of ser- vice, to the wretched Governor, who is a major of horse in their army; and, after waiting some minutes, he was informed by a slovenly uncouth fellow, who it seems was his aid-de-camp, that ** the Governor had got the itch, was bathing for the cure of itj and therefore could not be seen !" This unblushing, but absolute fact, would 'I $6 A TOUK THROUGH , iiii m •ffl not satisfy the British officer, who insisted on the itchy Governor's appearance. Reh'gion of course enthrals the lower orders in particular, who are kept in utter ignorance, that thty may be the more easily deluded j and, of consequence, their places of public worship, and religious cere- monies, are all alike extravagant and ido- latrous. I was present at the funeral of a woman of the middling class ; she was car- ried on a bier, followed by her relations, chanting passages from Scripture. The body, on being placed ui the middle of the church, was uncovered, and surrounded with wax flambeaux. After an extremely long service, part of which was in Latin, they deposited the body, without a coffin, which they never use, in the grave, throw- ing in lime to hasten decay ; though it lies there but a short time ; for, in turn, this same little allotment is formed to the m JGH , who insisted arance. rah the lower : kept in utter the more easily quence, their religious cere- agant and ido- le funeral of a ; she was car- ' her relations, cripture. The middle of the id surrounded an extremely was in Latin, thout a coffin, grave, throw- though it lies for, in turn, formed to the TkE ATLANTifc, 57 ; sartie purposci and the half-mouldered body is thrown into a *place set apart in each church, than Which to contemplate, tiothing Can be more distressing :— -they have' no burial-ground attached to their churches-^I looked into one of these horrid Cemeteries : it contained the shattered skele- tons of several hundred bodies, in the va- Hous stages of natural decay 1 These arc the morhents when the decent and respect- ful manners of the Protestant church appear in ^ beauteous modesty* that the gaudy magnificence of Catholic splendour can tiever attain ! Here we pause to bless the God who has placed us beyond the deceit of ! infatuating bigotry, and taught us meekness and humble prayer. I have witnessed the habits of a people that dishonour the finest Works of Nature, and exist insensible of the favours she heaps upon them. *. ij mf ill' r' I 1 tilt ■Ui i! 1 1 i i t 1 i - i 1 V 1 1 ,. ! 58 A TOUR THROUGH Severely should' we have experienced the want of an interpreter and guide, had we not found these qualities in W. H. Read, Esq. the British Consul, who added to them an intclhgence and hospitality rarely united in one man. Many years' service in the Navy inculcated the generous sentiment that ever after lives in those who can feel a pleasure in pleasing ; and among the first of such happily disposed men is Mr. Read. Anxious that we should witness the most interesting part of th^ island during our limited visit at his house, he proposed we should survey the Fournas, or Hot Waters, situated in a vale so called, 30 miles from the city, and about seven leagues by the sea, which is within seven miles of the vale. The heat of the weather, and other considci^. tions, induced us to prefer going in our own boat; accordingly, at dawn the next day, after laying in a good stock of grog, we n xperienced the [iiide, had wc W. H. Read, vho added to pitahty rarely iars* service in ous sentiment I ho can feel a )ng the first of is Mr. Read. less the most d during our proposed we : Hot Waters, 30 miles from ics by the sea, the vale. The ler considei^. ig in our ovv^n the next day, of grog, we THE ATLANTIC. 59 started from the pier of Ponta del Gado, and commenced our aquatic excursion. On our approach to the small bay imme- diately round Ponta de Abufeira, we saw many of the inhabitants of the little huts, which were scattered on the neighbouring mountains, coming down the beach, each driving before him an ass. They launched one of the boats with considerable dexterity, and landed us without inconvenience from the surge. They were happy to engage in our service, and, it appeared, came dowrt for the purpose. After hauling our cutter on the strand, we each mounted our beast, and, with those appointed to carry our pro- vision, proceeded up one of the vast preci* pices with which the island abounds. The animals, we were told, were well acquainted with the safest track, and that disaster would be occasibned by our interference with themj we were therefore wiihout bridle or &..■ E 2 M- ,* 60 halt A TOUR THROUGH d our lives depended on the er, ana our lives strength and wisdom of an ass ! As we as- cended, however, we lost all thought of danger, and our senses were only alive to the stupendous eflfoits of Nature. Awfully grand, magnificent, and sublime, were the works she presented to us, in endless va- riety, as we gained the higher part. It is scarcely possible to exhibit to the mind so grand a panorama :— the picturesque, sub- lime, and beautiful, formed a coup d*esides the vine, and they get their principal supplies from Fayal, which is separated from Pico by a narrow strait of ten miles. The vineyards of Pico belonging to the principal people at Fayal, the grapes are taken across, th« wine is made at Fayal, and takes the name of that island, which accounts for our never hearing of Pico wine. On the 17th, the wind coming quite fair for Newfoundland, Captain Gra* iXX^ m THE ATLANTIC. 79 ham determined not to lose a moment. Wc bore up, and, early the next day, ran be- tween the small islands of Corvo and Florcs, the most northern of the Azores. The latter takes its name from the many beautiful flowers found in it ; and Corvo from many crows having been found in it on its discovery. It abounds, too, in a small breed of cows. The Vestal touched at it in the last year, and the Captain bought a nice little cow and calf for seven dollars, i/. us. dd. sterling, and brought them safe home; the cow giving a fair quantity of milk even on dry food. This night we were surprised by a tre- mendous and alarming storm of thunder and lightning from the west quarter, fortunately attended with a deluge of rain. The oldest and most experienced sailors on board had scarcely witnessed any thing more awful. The storm seemed passing over our heads i V 4 %'. J1 !J 8o A TOUR THROUGH the nitrous and destructive fluid fell all around, and emblazoned the heavens, for many seconds, with little intervals, which were a " darkness visible." The rolling peals of thunder warned us of approaching danger; but every precaution was taken to secure us from accident or mishap, and, un- der the blessing of Heaven, we weathered the storm without misfortune, whilst the re- turnincr sun, ** with healing on its wings,'* soothed, with its benign influence^ the pre- viously agitated bosom of the deep. We had now little novelty; occasional changes of windy with a few hours calm, kepf UH till the 28th, when we reached the Great Bank of Newfoundland, situated jp lat. 4 I" to 50" N. and long. 49*^ to 53"* 30' W. about eighty miles from the island; blie luiiidred and eighty leagues in extreme Jength, and from sixty to seventy leagues across in the broadei.t part. It is almost al- . . I ''HE ATLANTIC. «1 •a: ways covered with an exctcdingly tVick fog, which extends for many leagues ro^nd it, and has, at a vast distance, the appeaiance of land looming in the horizon. The fish on it will be noticed in my memoranda from the island, but their quantity surpasses al belief. This Bank, from being well known gives good soundings, and is of great ser- vice as a departure; it enables the ma. riner to make the land with confidence anc security, which would otherwise, from the heavy fog, be a work of dangerous uncer- tainty. wi Early on the morning of ^unday 30th July, we made the land, and, at noon, an- chored in the snug harbour of St. John. Newfouncand is situated in North Amc- rica, between 52^ and 58° W. long, and between ^f and 52;^ N. lat. The strait of Belle Isle divides it from Esquimaux, and it .I'j u A TOUR THROUG/^i is about forty miles N. E. of Cape Breton* The Imgth is three hundred and fifty miles froi> noith to south, and two hundred miles ic'oss in the widest part. S The first knowledge we appear to have ;iad of Newfoundland was in the reign of Henry VIII. in 1536, when a cosmo- 3-rapher persuaded some friends to accom- oany him on a voyage of discovery to the north-west part of America. After many- hardships, they made this island, and called it *« New founde lande.'* Their difficulties increased ; hunger preyed amongst them, and their sufferings were dreadful. Fear of •wild beasts and the savages of the island, kept them from seeking food in the inte- rior; and one man horridly murdered his shipmate, who was stooping to pick up a stick. THE ATLANTIC. H On the following day, one of the crew, coming on shore, smelt broiled meat, and accused the other of living for himself alone, while his poor friends were vainly starving : he burst into tears, and said it was part of the buttock of him whom he had killed for food. After a long catalogue of misfor- tunes, a few of these unhappy sufferers reached the western coast of England, and could give but an imperfect account of their discovery. Nothing seems to have been again con- sidered of this, at present, valuable posses^ sion, till 1583, when Sir Humphrey Gil- bert. Knight, ventured to explore the northern part of America, and received a charter from Her Majesty Elizabeth, to in- habit, at his discretion, all lands he might discover, not under the government and in the possession of a Christian Prince. Many men of character joined in an enterprise that H A TOUR THROUGH seemed to hold out fair promises of gaia and distinction. He set sail from Plymouth on the 1 1 th June 1583, with several vessels under his direction ; but so unlearned were they in the naval science at that period, that they were hardly decided in the course or direction they should steer. After encountering what were then considered dangers, difficulties* and trials, they passed the Great Bank, and arrived at St. John*s harbour on the 3d of August. They there found vessels of all nations on the fishing trade; and the follow- ing appears to h^ve been the manner of its being taken possession for Her Majesty the Queen : ** Monday following, August the 5th, the General had his tent set up ; who, be» ing accompanied with his own followers, summoned the marchants and masters, bptU li THE ATLANTIC. 85 English and strangers, to be present at his taking possession of those countries. Before whotn openly was read, and interpreted vnto the strangers, his commission, by virtue whereof, he tooke possession in the same harbour of St. John, and two hundred leagues every way, invested the Queen's Maiestie with the title and dignitie thereof; had delivered vnto him, after the custome of England, a rod and a turfFe of the same soile, entering possession for him, his hcires, and asignees for ever." We cannot but lament the sudden fate of this enterprising character, who, after a few arrangements for the welfare of his new ac- quisition, anxiously continued his voyage of discovery, and was lost in a storm. With him the interests of the infant possession seem to have paused till the reign of King Wilham, when we find the Legislature sen- sible of the advantages that would arise from >ll 8^ A TOUR THROUGH a cultivation of the Newfoundland fisheries ; and a direct communication was opened with His Majesty's liege subjects. They also formed salutary laws and regulations, and offered considerable advantages to those, who should arrive first at the fishing season, which is from spring to autumn. Its rapid progress, however, soon rendered it neces- sary to establish tribunals for the cogni- zance of crimes, which were before only punishable in England j and by the recom- mendation of persons, selected by His Ma- jesty, to consider and report for the inte- rests of the settlement, it was decided by royal pleasure, that the Captains of the con- voy ships should have power to regulate abuses at. Newfoundland, and that, for tfte preservation of good order and the dignity of the church, chaplains should be appointed to the Said convoy ships. THE ATLANTIC. 8t In 1708, from pu utr motives, it waj determined tbxt the senior naval offictf should ccmjii.aid such troops as were doiig duty on the island, and the necessary con- missions were made nut. It v^^as shortly after in contemplation ^o appoint commis- sioners of the customs, to prevent illicit trade; but the firm hold and ascendancy the French had obtained, rendered measures of defence the first and prevailing object of consideration. During the year 1710, strong represerta- lions were made on the part of the mer- chants, beseeching that Newfoundland should in any treaty of peace be wholly re- served to the English : consequently, at the peace of Utrecht, the French were required, and did cede all their settlements here to us, they retaining nothing more than a license to come and go during the fishing season. This gave a new spirit to the government ! - m Jsgt^B IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 2.5 «- IIIIIM |50 la IIIIIM ||jl| 2^ 2.0 1.8 1.25 1.4 1.6 ^ 6" _ !»- V] <^ //. ^l. VI e: /A O^M M Photographic Corporation s. s ■^^ •^ ^^ V ip N> « <^^ O^ 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14S80 (716) 87-i-4S03 j#,^ A. f/j ^ ,1 4 ii'- III' 1 J , i: II iut 1 fi: 'HI '[f . ST '■% '^'^ ^8 A TOUR THROUGH ind merchants, and promised high remune- ration to their diligence. Captain Osborne stems to have been the first civil governor appointed v^^ith authority to administer oaths, anl to appoint justices of the peace, and oth^r officers to regulate abuses, and preserve the 'Tanquillity of the island. He accord- ingly made the best and most salutary ar- rangements for effecting the good purpose of the Crown; but he had many prejudices aad difficulties to encounter, in bringing people of low habits and manners, and dis- solute principles, to a sense of order and an imlination to honesty and fair dealing. This required every precaution and address, and could alone be the work of time, patience, and unshaken perseverance. After consider- able opposition on the part of the mer* chants, and a ferment that has not subsided to this day ; in 1764, a custom-house was built, officers were appointed, and fees esta- blished ; which contributed, in the mostessen- tHE ATLA.NTIC. 89 tkl way, to the full establishment of the civil authority of the place. ■ii From this period, Newfoundland seems Id have risen rapidly, and the succession of years has produced the most interesting and aln^ost incredible improvement in the settle* ment. ^^ In 1789, from the wise and cogent sug- gestiv'H of Mr. Graham, who was Secretary to Admiral Milbanke during his govern- ment here, at that period, a Court of Com- mon Pleas was instituted, to proceed, by a ju.ry, in the form and manner of a Court of Common Law in England, v/hich, strange as it ipay seem, was, for a time, much complained of. However, it is pleasing to yecoUect that this mild and impartial ar- rangement came from the heart of a gentle- mar>, vybo now fills a distinguished seat in the judicature of the rnother-*country. About I ■ ;■.< \- ■ ■9ISi>'- sri *)0 A TOUR THROUCH the same time, surrogates were deputed hj the Governor to assist him in his arduous duties ; and they are now always sent into the out-harbours, to hear causes, and adjust, differences, which they do according to the principles of the established laws; and make reports for the sanction of His Excel- lency. For the last twenty years, officers of high rank and distinguished merit have, suc- cessively, held the commission of Governor, Captain-general, and Commander in Chief, &c. &c. of Newfoundland and its depen^ dencics* Under their influence, not only the general interests of the settlement have continued to increase and ripen, but its re- venues to the Crown have become a matter of valuable consideration. ^Jewfoundland is also of the very first importance to Great Britain, from the, nursery formed, by its tisheries, for the ^vy ; ar^^it assists the ma- *^.. '^1/ f;•|:^ "^^ THE ATLANTIC. 91 nufactorles by employing many persons, who are thereby enabled to consume the produce, and is of considerable moment in point of trade and commerce. Several hundred sail of vessels are usually laden here during the fishing season, when it is computed, that ten thousand ^--^rsons assemble from various parts of the globe, many of whom are prevented staying the winter from the extreme severity of the climate, the snow being on the ground for months without a change. The last win", ter is said to have been very trying ; money could not procure the necessaries of life, and the lower class of people were in a state of starvation. The §now was frequently over the roofs of the cQttages, and the inha- bitants were absolutely dug out, to save them from suffocation. During these heavy drifts^ the slays, or sledges, which they have, drawn by horses, were useless, and, G 2 ■•'■I' m K "H M. 1; .■ 't. ' '-•' ' I ■ 1' 1, i !"''■ •■' ■§■ ^l .'• '-' "^jI' 92 A TOUR THROUGH ( i 1 ,'i Hi persons were confined in each other's houses, as chance threw them together.. How striking is the contrast here ^ith the gardens of plenty we had so recently left ! In the one place, Nature appears in all her charms, shedding her riches around, and you recline in the lap of luxury ; while, in the other, cheerless winter cramps her bounteous heart, and, with dreadful severity^ forbids her kind benevolence to man. There are, however, many places which, during the summer season, are extremely pleasant; and every year produces n^w^ pmrif- ations, and a fresh display of the taste and industry of the owners, j'oremost among these, ranks the estate of Colonel Skinner, many years Commandant 01 the island. The habitation is in the cottage style ; the avenues and general plan of the grounds have heightened the work of nature to an . ii THE ATLANTIC. 93 effect, in picturesque beauty and sweetness of landscape, hardly to be surpassed in any clime or country. ' ^' In % i At a happy distance below the lawn, is a clear and beautiful lake, two miles in cir- cumference, of an oval form, abounding with excellent fish. In this mirror you may often see reflected the striking scenery of the opposite shore. A sublime range of mountainous land closes round, through the outlets of which you glance on the ex- tent of ocean, and contemplate numerous vessels engaged in the trade and interests of the settlement. The sportsman with his gun, has also space and covert here for his amusement. The black game is peculiarly fine, and the snipe is, perhaps, in greater perfection than in any other part. They are frequently killed from seven and a half to eight ounces G 3 'r fj •1 94 A TOUR THROUGH in weight, and they have been shot as heavy as nine. Government liave always been anxious, though hitherto without success, toestabhsh a friendly intercourse with the native In- dians ; and it is to be feared that thq unau- thorized system of terror exercised towards them by our first settlers here, and which drove them into the very heart of the coun- try, amidst almost impervious woods, has for ever cut off the hope of an understanding between us j for whenever a party of them have been surprised or seen, they have pre- cipitately fled, and hidden themselves in the mazes of a neighbouring forest. Some few years since, four or five of them were dis- covered in a wigwam, by persons who were on the search for them, from an out-port i the alarm was suddenly given, and they all escaped but one elderly woman, in whose withered limbs the brisk blood of activity THE ATLANTIC. 95 had long ceased to flow, and she became their gloonny, sullen prisoner. She was almost naked; of a reddish complexion, short stature, harsh features, and straight, long, black hair. Her language is repre- sented to have been incoherent, and unlike any human tone; no articulation could be ascertained^, nor distinct sound remembered ; yet on her being brought round to St. John's, she soon discovered a preference for persons. She would go out and meet those who had been kind to her , clap her hands, look pleased, and mumble a something which was naturally supposed to intend wel- come. On being brought into a ball-room, she seemed, for a few moments, petrified ; first the music, and then the dancing and dresses, engaged her delighted attention, when, by every sign and token, she de- monstrated her joy and surprise. The greatest kindness and feeling was shewn the poor savage, who, at last, became, appa- G 4 ! (' I ^* t-i? !«,,• ti-lli" I ■ I . t : •>■ L I. I ' 96 A TOUR THROUGH rcntly, reconciled and contented. The go- vernment, supposing that it would be good policy to send her back in this temper, loaded her with presents of beads and orna-. mcnts of her own choosing, and for which she evinced a strong predilection, and, by signs, endeavoured to tell her all her friends, and, in short, all their tribe, would be equally caressed, and experience the same civility, if they would place confidence, and come amongst the Europeans. Their trouble was, however, unavailing; the poor crea- ture died on board the vessel that was conveying her to the harbour nearest the spot whence she had been taken, and all endeavours to obtain another have hitherto been unsuccessful. Her absence, perhaps, increased their dread and apprehensions of our barbarity and hatred towards them : in- deed they have too much reason to dread the very sight of a stranger. A- man be- longing to a fishing- vessel employed in an THE ATLANTIC. 97 out-harbour, was, the other day, brought before the magistrates at St. John's, ac- cused of having fired at a party of these poor Indians, with an intent to destroy them ; to which this far greater savage than they, said, "Yes, I have done so; they ran away on seeing me, and I thought there was no harm in shooting a wild savage." He was, of course, reprimanded and admo- nished, and exhibited signs of fear and trem- bling on being assured, that, had he been un- fortunate enough to have killed any one of them, his own life would most certainly have been forfeited to the murder. The ne- cessary directions have, of course, been given to prevent the recurrence of a practice so disgraceful to human nature, as well as a conduct so contrary to the views and inten- tions of Government. Measures are, and have been taken, to render the harbour more defensible, in the , ,'i ■ ■ . '■ : W'A ill !'l 98 A TOUR THROUGH absence of the squadron, which usually weighs on the 25th October, or as soon after as the wind will permit, for England, during the winter. Ii.' the interim of the absence of the Admiral, who always goes out, and returns with his squadron, the power and authority devolves on Major-ge- neral Moore, who commands the military on the island, viz. the Nova Scotia Regi- ment of Fencibles, with detachments of the Royal Artillery, Engineers, and Artificers of Great Britain. There is, perhaps, no other country, that, in so short a space of time, experi- ences, in an equal degree, the extremes of heat and cold : a difference of forty degrees in the thermometer has been often observed in the course of a few hours. Nothing is more common, at the summer season, than, in the morning, to be oppressed with sultry heat, and gladly seek the " mid-wood 4 'f '^ THE ATLANTIC. 99 shade," and in the keen evening of the fame day to feel the necessity of artificial warmth. These sudden changes, how- ever, do not appear at all to affect the health c " the settlers, who are remarkably robust and hearty. From the first discovery of the island, the most fragrant and beautiful wild roses have been observed here; as, likewise, a re- markable production called the pitcher- plant, which I believe to be peculiar to the island. Its leaves are formed in the shape of a cup, and are always full of water ; its flower is of a pretty and delicate -yellow, of the texture of fibrous silk. Im- mense quantities of red berries, called cranberries, are found in the woods here ; they make delicious tarts, and are much esteemed in England: they are here pur- chasable at thirteen pence halfpenny per gallon, but pay a certain duty per gal- lA i (A: ■I; I II lOO A TOUTl THROUGH Ion to the customs at home, and require care and trouble to preserve them for the voyage. The town of St. Johfi's has little to re- commend it; in consequence of being situated on the water's edge, it is extremely dirty. The houses are all built of Wood, with which the island aboutids; they are low and inconvenient, and, from the narrowness of the streets, and the annoyance of rats, barely habitable. Children of all ages arc dragging iish about the streets ; and another nuisance is the continual yelping of dogs, with which the place swarms : their owners having no use for them, except in the win- ter, they drive them from their home the other part of the year, and they live about the streets upon the offals of fish. The town forms one line, a mile in kn^th, in which the smell offish, and the ■■I' THE ATLANTIC, lOI Stink of sea! oil, is inconceivably disgusting; A little higher, on the site of a h ill, are some pleasant houses which command ' the harbour and shipping, and breathe a purer air, though occasionally tainted when the breeze crosses the stages on which are laid tens of thousands of fish, to dry for exporta- tion. These, however, are evils, or rather mconvemences, of necessity, to whicll,^ when We contrast the intrinsic value of the ^ice, and the service it renders our beloved cOtintry, we easily submit, overcornethe little prejudices of situation, and are reconciled to the disadvantages of climate. ^^^i^n'^ The scarcity and extravagant price, as also the indifferent quality of the meat at St. John's, determined Admiral Holloway to sen^ the Vestal on a cruize to the Western Islands, whence she could bring 'tmck bul- locks and vegetables for the ships under his orders, and at once contribute to the health 102 A TOUR THROUGH and comfort of their crews. Accordingly, on Wednesday the 9th of August, wc left St. John's, with the charm of a fine leading wind, and very soon lost sight of land. The fog was extremely heavy, and, as usual, when westerly winds are prevalent, we car- ried it a vast distance, upwards of three hundred miles! Nothing could equal our rate of running. A moderate breeze and a flowing, sail, took us, at periods, thirtetn knots, or. miles, an hour, and we crossed the almost immeasurable waters of the At- lanticj without reducing a sail, ©r experi- encing any of those casualties that are inci- dental to a voyage. On the sixth day wc made the island of Corvo, and early the following morning, the 1 6th, we anchored in Fayal Roads, having averaged seven knots and a half each hour since our departure from North Ame- H^ THE ATLANTIC. 103 rica — a passage seldom to be saen on the re- cords of navigation. As I landed at Fayal, a new region and climate ; a contrasted people, in language, costume, manners, and religion; a barren shore changed for the rich harvests of plenty ; vegetation flourishing ; the luxuries of the torrid zone without its oppressive heat ; in fact, one grand epitome of nature, all effected in so short a time, without any sacrifice or inconvenience, had the sem- blance of enchantment. It struck instantly to my heart} and subdued resistance. •' When the abundance, beauty, and rich* ness of these islands are considered, how na- tural is it to lament, they are not in the occupation of a people more calculated to improve and enjoy them { But idleness and corruption are in their heart's core, and what can be hoped from thf m ? It is too ! *!: ,-«.* '^i . J - . r ia4 A TOUR. THROUGH .! ■J! ■a 1 lins M&P ' < clearly visible in all their ranks, and in all their dealings ; even those who come off ta sell their little stock on board, endeavour, hy every method, to cheat and impose; and these wretches, who would not scruple to practise any trick for gain, will not take their smallest coin, which is less than our farthing, if it have not a cross on it ; not from any prohibition of authority to this effect ; but from the intensity of their con- science in religion. The Consul told us, we had no idea, how much they raised the price of every thinr on a ship's arrival, which seemed incredible to us, when wp could get a hundred fine cucumbers for a pisturine, which is no niOiCe than one shil- ling sterling ; a large basket of fine apricots, and a heap of eggs, for the same sum ; pouU try at the rate of nineteen pence a couple, and vegetables of all kinds fgr a mere trifle. i"i^^ ,; THE ATLANTIC. 165 This island grows a considerable quantity bfcorn, and supplies the necessities of its neighbour Pico, whence, as I have before stated, they receive almost all the grapes, from which they make their wine. Their Passado, or Fayal Malmsey, is very rich and pleasant, and is made in the following manner : they cull the choicest grapes of the vineyard ; placing them in the sun, on lava-stones, turning them, every twelve hours for a fortnight. When they are pressed, the juice is extremely rich and glutinous, and is fined by the best French brandy^ which gives it so fine a goiitj that a connoisseur has mistaken it for the best Madeira Malmsey : there is, however, a difFercnce, in the price, of 11/. 5^". in the quarter-cask, the Passado being only thirty dollars a quarter-cask. In the evening, we walked half a mile from the town to see a valley of remarkabk n !'■ U % :, i I io6 A TOUR THROUGH beauty. It is the finest prospect, in minia^ ture, imaginable. The slopes are covered with the varied shades of vegetation j* the vine, the orange, lemon, and coffee tree; the banana and tobacco plant springing out in wild abundance. From a dark cleft on the western side, is a pleasing fall of water, which much increases in the rainy season, when it rushes down the valley, and dis- charges itself into the wide bosom of the Atlantic, which lies open on the eastern side. As we passed along, we saw the poor peasants employed in making baskets and mats, for which the island is famous; vast quantities are exported, but, although of peculiar beauty and excellence, they arc so cheap, that it affords them but a precarious subsistence. A large, handsome mat, re- sembling the India kind, measuring twenty feet by fifteen, was purchased by an .^: THJg ATLANTIC. IO7 officer on board, for thirty- two shillings, which is at least one third more than they would have charged a native; indeed, the value of money in all the Azores is matter of surprise and astonishment to every Eng- lishman that visits them. K- h ' There is no manifest difference in the town, which is also called Fayal, from the Ponta del Gado. It contains several con- vents, as indeed do all the places of any consideration in these islands ; but we found the fair sisterhood of much lower rank and manners, and wanting in those refinements, that so elegantly characterized the conduct of our secluded friends of St. Michael's. At one convent here, they were not allowed even to see any company, owing, as we understood, to an elopement which had very recently taken place. A dashing son of Neptune, commanding a British sloop of war, that touched at the island for re- H 2 -.^'^ :•■ •! f I io8 A TOUR THROUGH 1 1 IH -» ^^^^B8 ' 'hI i ^^^B ^^^^3m ■ ifH 1 '^M ^BB i:|H ■ IMm ^^^^^^s ^^H- ^ s '"S ^H :': ^ ^^^^^ freshmcnts, saw, with a compassion, alas! too tender, the lovely Scnhora. The ena- moured hero, by a seductive sympathy in her welfare and happiness, secured a heart, till now, perhaps, a stranger to the noble sentiment of gratitude, and soon persuaded her that almighty love was sufficient inter- cession in heaven, for violating her oaths and promises of vestal purity and everlasting faith. Her willing ear gained, he soon se- cured his conquest ; a daring leap from her window quickly brought her to his opened arms, and they reached their boat, and af- terwards the ship, without interruption or impediment. The next morning the whole convent was in confusion; formal repre- sentations were made to the church ; this unfortunate victim to the errors of education, was excommunicated and anathematized by those, who, perhaps, were, in some mea- sure, instrumental to her becoming the slave Qf passion, and who ought rather to have THE ATLANTIC. 109 atoned for the offence, and implored her salvation. The unhappy predilection for intrigue, which existed in this convent, was, how- ever, yet more strongly to he proved. A ftw weeks afterwards, on the morning of our arrival, a holy monk had been caught in the embraces of a nun, by the enraged abbess, ^nd it appeared the guilty intercourse had been carried on for some time. He was immediately arrested jind thrown into prison, to wait the decree of the Bishop of Tercera, and it was supposed the frail fair one would bp shut out from every intercourse, and consigned to everlasting solitude. The Bi- shop has, most probably, disgraced the con- vent, while the life of the faller> priest is at the mercy of his absolute will. These ac-t counts could haye bvit one effect on all un-. prejudiced minds j and when wc ur ' rstood (^ery strjjigeri and especially officers^ wer^ w '■%. ■I'll I'S^ ' \ I -t ■ ) I lO A TOUR THROUGH now to be watched with the jealous eye of suspicion, we felt little inclination, from the shortness of our intended stay, to over- come their scruples, and court their confi- dence. On the beach, and fronting the sea, is a fine building, formerly a college for Jesuits, whose name it, to this day, bears. This numerous and formidable body prevailed very much in these islands, and had many public seminaries previous to the memorable conspiracy in 1758, when they were ba- nished the Portuguese dominions, for the active and interested part they took in the politics of that time. This island is famous, as the refuge of many shipwrecked persons ; amongst others, 1 believe, Ingleficld was saved here : and a few days previous to our arrival, the wrecked c^rew of an American vessel had THE ATLANTIC. Ill first made this shore. Every occasion of this sort is, of course, seized by the church, and used to fan the superstitious flame of its deUided votaries. This is, I am told, the only island of the Azores that has not a crater now burning on it, though it bears irrefragable marks of the ravages that have thus been made. From this was first observed the volcano at St. George's island, distant about ten leagues. The eruption happened on the ist of May 1808. It appears, by the account of a person who witnessed it, to have been attended with horrid noises, and vast co- lumns of dense smoke. The unhappy, pa- nic-struck inhabitants fell on their trembling knees, and poured forth earnest prayers for their deliverance. It soon broke into the fertile pastures, and formed a crater twenty- four acres in circumference, covering the earth four feet deep in cinders, and dan- H 4 ;::il r I ■ «i ¥ '1 'I: :' 112 A TOUR TIlROUqH m L m ■ ■ gerous of approach ; it continued to in- crease, and a smaller crater broke out in auo.'? thcr part. The distance of these craters from the sea was about four miles, at an elevation of three thousand five hundred feet. The lava bursting out, inundated and swept away the town of Ursulina, destroyed? houses and cattle, and blasted the whole face of vegetation for miles round about. It, as usual, gave timely notice of its awful ap- proach, and the people fled ; but some of them, in endeavouring to save part of their eftects, delayed too long, and were dread-i- fully scalded, their skin and flesh being torn off, without injury to th^ir apparel, and it was supposed that sixty unhappy persons suffered in this nielancholy way, with nu-» merous cattle, floe! .. 4c.- -How transient are the possessions, as well as tl>e life of man ! This is^land, ^ few hours before, was rich and fruitful, and yielded abun^ dance to those who dwelt on it j hut* by a, THE ATLANTIC 113 terrible convul: n of Nature, it is suddculy laid wast:, and becomes thp picture of mournful desolation ! The poor inhabitants were, yesterday, in possession of a cot, a garden, and, at least, the comforts, if not what they might consider the luxuries, of life; but now, with their wives, and chil* dren too, reduced to beggary and despair j some of whom are, perchance, amongst those, who, in the vain attempt to save a little from the general wreck, to support the few remaining years of an aged parent^ paid the dear forfeit of their lives ; while the unhappy family, driven from their little paradise, are doomed to drink the bitter cup of misery; and many, who had from their childhood lived in affluence, were now des- tined to earn their daily bread by the sweat of their brow. The poor creatures hurried to Fayal, and entreated laborious employ- ment for subsistence. — O happy, happy Brita^inl If thou art not surrounded with '4 1,, I - j.1f i ,),■« i /; 114 A TOUR THROUGH the voluptuous produce of warmer climes, thou art no less a stranger to their attendant calamities, and standest, alone, the favoured isle. While the jarring interests of the world are disputing for the palm of superiority, thy peasant lives in his peaceful cottage, where neither the ravages of war, nor the dread shock of contending nature, intrudes tp embitter his healthful draught of life ! In the evening of the next day, the 17th, we weighed, with a favouring breeze, and passed along the shore of majestic Pico, commanding a view, at the same time, of five of the islands, to Tercera, and, after a night of sweet and refreshing sleep, an- chored in the port of Angra, the capital town. This island is equal, in square miles, to St. Michael's, and forms a beau* tiful picture, but bears no comparison in other respects ; yet, from its being chosen as the residence of the Governor and Cap* I ■ '-•^r 4 THE ATLANTIC. ^15 tain-general, and being also the see of the Bishop, it seems to have formerly ranked as the most important of the Azores. The port is well sheltered from most winds, ex- cepting those from south to east and by- north ; but, when blowing hard from these points, you cannot put to sea. A heavy swell, which occasions considerable risk in anchoring there, is very frequent. These disadvantages, and the extreme jealousy of the government towards strangers, whom they will detain on the slightest pretence, and lay an embargo on their vessels during pleasure; dishearten the merchant; preju- dice the trade, and, by retarding the inter- course, that for the welfare of both should be unreserved, materially injirre the interests of the island, and the revenue.— How wretched is this system of polity ! In our flourishing kingdom, the law encourages commerce and protects the merchant ; but here, their jealous and suspicious nature sa- ■f H i t Jl6 A TOUR THROUGH crificcs every public and private interest, to arbitrary \\'ill, or unfounded apprehen- sion. The town of Angra, as are all tiic Iuugcs of the Azores, is built of liva-stone, wliicli is of a slate colour, and has a handsome ef- fect; and it is but fair to add, that cwcry thing wears a much better appearance in it, than in any other of the Portuguese towns we ha,d visited ; and the order of authority appears to be carried on with somehing like precision and propriety. The streets arq wide and clean ; the inhabitants look more healthy ; and the troops, although prin^ cipally composed of the vagabonds from the other islands, by the lash of severity, and the terror of punishment, are kept one re- move from rabble. This is the utmost that; I can, faithfully, say in their favour. It is^ sincerely to be hoped that their countrymen,^ who compose Marshal Beresford*s army ii\ m 1 THE ATLANTIC* 117 Portugal, are very much more effective, and that the trouble he is reported to have taken, with his persevering labours and skilful re- gulations, have inculcated those noble prin^ ciples of British discipline, which form the basis of success, and can alone be opposed to the consummate talent and brilliant achieve- ments of Bonaparte and his arm;ies. I accompanied Captain Graham to the head quarters of the Captain and Governor- general, a member of the Court, and a Privy Counsellor, an elegant, polite, and well-bred man, possessing an infinity of compliment without meaning, and assu- rances of friendship without sincerity. His palace, his suite, his whole appearance, had an air of dignity and fashion. An irre- sistible pleasure was excited by his manner: of offering his heart and his house, although fully aware that it was merely their " ma- niere de parlcr,'* and in noway intended for ■j^ '-T: t ' ?' ri8 A rOVtL THROUGH Wceptancc. As it was settled that we should sail the same evening for St. Mi- chael's, I could not possibly spare an hour to visit the cathedral j neither did I meet any person that could supply interesting particulars concerning it. I understood it to be decorated in their usual style, which gave it, in common with their other churches, the appearance of an opera-house, or of any thing but a place of worship. Each man plays his part, and, by a system of pomp and pageantry, the vulgar mind is kept in idolatry and obedience. — What emi- nent advantages must result from a reforma- tion ! How fliir would then beco.ne the aspect of the nation ! By shaking off the trammels of the Popish church, the ac- knowledged genius and talent of these people would be left to the free exercise of its own powders. The bright star of lite- rature Vv^ould agnin shine amongst them ; their history would be continued ; their ♦ THE ATLANTIC. II9 travels prosecuted ; their scene of action en- larged, and their native spirit improved; in fine, it would be the first grand step to the enviable rank of an independent nation. ^11 ! As the sun sank into the glowing bosom of the west, our sails were filled with a sweet and gentle breeze, which wafted the proud vessel o*er the willing deep. But when Nature slept, the young Zephyrus stole to the fond embraces of his love, and lay enamoured in her beauteous arms, till the blushing Morn came to chide his le- thargy; then, rising from his rosy bed, he fanned the silent deep, and spread our wanton sails, which carried us by the even- ing in sight of the intended port, and, early the next day, the 20th, we again cast an- chor in the roadstead of the Ponta del Gado. After our visits to two strange islands, we here seemed to recognize every striking point. White flags were thrown out in 'f . "t-i. ■,* .:\ tzo A TOUR THROUGH .»./• kind token of our welcome to the convents j and our hospitable friend the Consul, Mr. Reid, was early afloat, anxious, as he al- ways is, to promote the welfare of the ser- vice, and, at the same time, contribute to the comfort and happiness of those engaged in it* As, soon as we landed, we hastened to offer the incense of our constancy and friendship at the convents, and gave the in- quiring minds and hearts of our favourites, the narration of our voyage, into all the circumstances of which they entered with a sympathy and kindness that could alone emanate from a feeling mind. They were particularly pleased to learn how pros- perously we had returned to the island ; for it proved, they said, that their prayers had been accepted as they wished, by the great Disposer of events, in heaven. That wc should have been to another part of the tHit Atlantic. 121 habitable world so many, many leagues dis- tant, through such vast and immeasurable waters, and be so soon returned, filled them with sensations of wonder ; and they looked at each other in mute surprise. There is something peculiarly interesting in m^y of these ladies ; their dignity of man- ner and modesty of deportment, impose un- feigned respect in their presence ; and this is softened by the gentleness of their disposi- tion, and the mild tenderness manifested in all their inquiries. Several of them were presented with a " petit gage d'amiti6, from America,'* in token of their living in the remembrance at any distance of time or place : no touch of art could reach the thankful smile that adorned the fine coun* tcnance, which then became the faithful mirror of a heart melting with gratitude. The Lady Abbess of the convent of St. Andrew received us herself, which is a dis- t !-i 1:' I. m i 122 A TpUR THROUGH tinguished complimqnt, to congratulate u6 on our pleasant voyage, and welcome our return ; adding, with benevolent politeness, the pleasure and estimation the visits of the officers of the Vestal would be held in by herself, and the other ladies of the convent. Fruits and sweetmeats of their own peculiar care, were given us at the grate. They said it was the happiest day they had known for a long time; and, on our taking leave, mutual promises were given of frequent visits during our stay, and solemn assu- rances of never-fading friendship. ■"^ Our obliging friend, the Consul, had prepared a large cavalcade of horses, mules, and asses, to carry a party of us to his beau- tiful country-seat, which is situated on a fine eminence about three miles from the town. It would require a comic talent to describe our set-out, which made the most grotesque and ludicrous appearance, tht THE ATLANTIC. ti^ •!#? youngsters, in high spirits and fun, were riding their jacks in every figure and form, some falling off, others falling on and over, and others again with their faces towards the tail, altogether producing the most ridi- culous, motley group, to the infinite amusement of the natives, who came run- ning to their doors and windows to see the frolick. This happiness was general; the in- dulgence of Captain G. to all, and the lowest ranks of his people, is proverbial Inhere Ver his ship has been; and you saw the sailor, who, an hour before, was ** rock- ing on the high and giddy mast,*' now rolU ing under the mule; that, to use his own term, •* he could not keep aboard of." *' Relax'd trom toil, the sailor*, range the shore. Where famine, war, and storm are felt no mor*;.*' On our arrival at the villa, called Bona Vista from the extreme beauty of the view, we were surrounded by the choicest boun- % f 11 i it '^: I I 1} %,i\-^\ I I 124 A TOUR THROUGH 1 IBfie 1 ;.| 1 ties of nature. We walked in the vineyards of plenty ; the rich fruit weighed down the • tender branches of the vine; the varied melon seemed to tempt the appetite; while the mind contemplated the magnificent scenery before it. The distant towers of the Ponta del Gado rose in noble grandeur at the extremity of the valley, the face of which was heighten- ed by the diversity and richness of its fo- liage. The neat cottage and pleasant village produced a happiness of effect, that the dullest imagination must enjoy. If the harmony of such a scene could be increased, it was by the prospect of our element, and our triumphant frigate at anchor. Her gay streamer floated on the wave; she looked the model of accomplished art, and bore a competition with the imagery that delighted us. Some of the most agreeable hours of my life were passed at this beautiful pli^ce. THE ATLANTIC. I25 vifherc we received the honest welcome of English hospitality ; every wish was antici- pated, every desire gratified ; *' we wan- dered in gardens of fragrance, and slept in the fortress of security.** We were happy to find Doctor Stanton returned from his researches at the vale of Fournas, and that he had succeeded to his utmost wishes in analyzing its waters, which had confirmed him in the opinion he had formed of their medicinal efficacy, and that they only required to be selected with skill, and applied with prudence, to be unrivalled in their healing powers, and efficient in the most desperate cases. He is making cu- rious selections, and has now in his pos- session some beautiful specimens of sulphur, iron, &c. &c. with the rarest production of the coral-tree, that I ever recollect to have heard of. I cannot forbear expressing my thanks to this gentleman for his liberal I 3 'rt'., ■A il J »i i 126 A TOUR. THROUGH Ifi u ; I : communications, and also for his politeness and hospitality to several of my shipmates, as well as to myself, which received a dou» ble value from the fascinating and cnlight* ened society of his family. Two or three days after our arrival we had a good incident and an admirable love- scene. An Englishman of forty-five chose to be desperately enamoured with a young Portuguese of twenty-two. The lady po- litely and fondly returned his passion, but there arose a terrible obstacle — their religion. In the golden moments of mutual love, how often we see, as in this instance, the heart running away with the head, and the cup of happiness dashed from the lips at the very moment of possession. John Bull was firm to his protest ; and even the soothing, soft, and persuasive eloquence of love, had not the power to betray him to apostacy. The f^ir one, however, conquered her prejur THE ATLANTIC, 127 dices, ** blotted out each bright idea of the skies," quitted the priest for the heretic, and resolved to confess to him done. Their happiness seemed now complete; the day fixed, and approaching, when they found ere was no clergyman of the Protestant faith in the island.— O propitious Venus ! The frigate came timeful in, with a Chap- lain on board; their joy burst forth, and their intentions came to the ears of the Popish priests, who resolved, if possible, to avert, what they termed such a disgrace on their holy religion ; but intercession was made to Captain G. who ordered them a boat : they went off in triumph, and were married on board, in defiance of the impo- tent menaces of a host of indignant bigots. \' I '.I Our little excursions into the interior were very pleasant. No country can be more sublime, beautiful, or agreeable. On the one hand is a noble range of mountain, I 4 . 4 J^raS A TOUR THROUGH ' bearing the awful cast of a late convulsion j on the other, highly cultivated hills, rich pastures^ apd valleys covered with fruitful and flourishing vines. To contemplate such scenes affords a rich repast to a mind at all disposed to feel their force, ^nd consider them as a great testimony of the infinity? goodness of our Creator. Some pf my messmates, who were fre- quently engaged in shooting parties, and consequer^tly traversed the greater part of the island, informed mp of their having detei'r mined to ascend a rnountain of remarkable ^ppparance, but \yhich presented difficulties and dang rs, that required perseverance, strongly urged by curiosity, to surmount. They describe the ascent to have been des- perate, an4 only to b? gained by a narrpw winding path, the turnings of which were frequent and abrupt, and required to he tra^ versed with caution, as a false step migh^ wi^TM- THE ATLANTIC. 129 probably have occasioned their destruction ; but, as they proceeded, their desire to reach the top increased. Their way was covered with small ashes, which became deeper and deeper, and increased the labour of the undertaking, which, however diffi- cult, a persevering spirit enabled them to accomplish, when, to their surprise, they found themselves on the edge of a dreadful precipice, the side of whkh had been en* tirely consumed by fire, or rather hollowed put by a volcano, that, for want of alible matter, had subsided. On throwing a stone of some pounds weight, it seemed to strike about two thirds down, and was ten seconds in falling. — What an example is this of the dreadful ravages of the burning element which consumes its way through such deep impediments ! and how is it pos^ sible to reflect un the few recorded instances of its fatal effects, without feeling and acr knpwledging the infinite mercies of that ■I 4 i I 1^ :i 11 I plw 'So A TOUR THROUGH great King of all kings, who, with so ter- rible an engine of punishment in his hand, forgives his rebellious and disobedient people ! What may be termed the base of this pre- cipice was a considerable height above the rocks that were ranged at its foot, and were the boundary of the ocean. It was covered with vineyards, and the white cottage sweetly thrown in, as if by art, to relieve the foliage, and by Nature to rest her wea- ried limbs. Thousands of wild pigeons roosted in the hollow of the rocks. Our visits at the convents every time in- creased in interest, and scarcely a day passed, without our seeing the nuns. They said, that, in such good and kind company, they felt unusual pleasure ; and always repeated our welcome. No one could see such worth and beauty, and be ingensible to their i 1 i m^-r-\9. %i \t \t"-'':\r'^ I. THE ATLANTIC. I3J power, or to the influence of courteous con- duct on the heart. But so innocent and dig- nified were their manners and behaviour, that if ever Plato's divine sentiment were found united with sensibihty, it lived and breathed in the tender friendship these amiable crea- tures inspired us with. The immoral or corrupt thought would be instantly cor- rected by the virtue that was marked in their expressive countenance ; still it was not the frowning inflexibility of prudery, but the conscious sense of what modesty should al- ways feel and manifest. That I may not be supposed to have overdrawn the picture of chastity they presented to me, I relate the following naive and interesting circumstance, which gives a lively instance of the power of virtue, over what are too often considered the ungovernable passions. % 1: rt I lit w t m An Officer of rank and address, for jtwo yciars that he had frecjuented the island. 1^:1 4 1 ) li 132 A TOUR THROUGH had been constant in his visits at the convent of St. Andrew. He admired, and was par- ticular in his attentions to the interesting Donna, Their acquaintance ripened into friendship, and their letters breathed the purest spirit of esteem. Nature, however, hardly acknowledges the restraint, and his kindness insensibly gained ascendancy over her mind, and entwined itself round her de- voted heart. I have frequently observed this charming woman ; if she saw him en- gaged in conversation, she seemed to regard him with peculiar interest, and dwelt with tenderness on his person ; but if she met his ardent look, she turned her modest face, and blushed : if he were absent, she inquired for him with emotion ; and once, on being told he was unwell, an unbidden tear fell on her pale cheek. That he regarded and esteemed her, could not be doubted ; but discretion forbade a more tender tie on the pi\e hand, while honour rejected it on the .', r-^ THE ATLANTIC, ^33 Other ; and this Officer was moral and dis- creet. It was, however, very evident he had found a way to a heart that religion had vainly attempted to seal for ever. Pity could not resist the tear ; it was an eloquent appeal to her feelings, and she resolved, at a proper time, to acquaint the unconscious friend of what she had witnessed. She did so, and he instantly felt a conviction of the necessity of being more the friend, than the lover, of the affectionate Donna. In his next letter, after thanking her for her kind solicitude for his health, he took occasion to observe, that he hoped that the endearing friendship, which had so long existed be- tween them, and had promised to be a source of pleasing reflection to both, could not be embittered by the possibility of its occasioning her sorrow at the prohibition she was under, and a consequent repentance of the sacred vows she had made ; that such a niisfortune would be the greatest affliction I. '34 A TOUR THROUGH Wm!r !^H>fl^Hl fl'^'^B^ i'^H:'fl^H: ^B' ^^^V/' W '9M j M'^nii H^flH'^ 11^ u UihB il 1 11 i^^^B ;:;|;'= | ■ m J, jMj to him, and would cast a dreadful gloom on the years, he hoped she would yet pass iti peace and happiness in the convent. She nobly replied, that so far were the VoWs she had made, or her confinement to the convent, a cause of regret, or uneasiness to her, that since her friendship with him, and attachment to his person, she had contem* plated them in a soothing spirit, before un- known to her; for that she considered them as the bond and security of her fide- lity to him, inasmuch as they put it out of her power to be inconstant in the esteem and tenderness she bore him. Our equipage, at the nocturnal retufn fron^ Bona Vista, exhibited a most ludicrous ap- pearance, each mounted on his Ambling jack, and attended by the driver, in the comical costume of the peasantry^ car»*ying a torch, which, as wc passed through some tarfow roads, enclosed by walls of lava- m ■.mfi/-'r'-'4-it %» f \f^ THE ATLANTIC. I37 Fruit and vegetables grow in abundance in the garden attached to a house at a moderate rental. 11 Our ship received several very fine oxenj, with a large supply of fruit and vege- fables ; and being perfectly prepared for sea» on the evening of the first of September, we went to say adieu, and au revoir, to our fair favourites at the convents. It was a scene that placed the goodness of heart, sin^ cerity, and gratitude of these amiable crea- tures, in a striking and convincing light: but I will not dwell here ; Good bye, has a spell in it, and I am sure there is not a generous heart beating, that has not ac- knowledged its influence. Having assured them of our lasting remembrance and friendship, and the hopcj we had of seeing them next year, we thanked our kind Consul for his hospitality ; and, having taken le*^ of his and Dr. 5tantQn'« family. ii ■# 138 A TOUR THROUGH . went on ooa^d, and early next morning, the 2d, wc weighed, and stood for the northern part of America ; but it was not so early but the white flag of peace and prosperity was flying at the convent. We passed in sight of several of the Azores; and our return was pleasant, al- though attended with adverse winds and some strong breezes, which formed a con- trast to the quickness of our passage the other way. On the nth, being in lat. 43° 26% and having experienced a very considerable change of climate, we were surprised to see a turtle floating along, which on our taking on board, and weighing, we found up- wards of scventy-$i9i'' pounds, and in high health. The sea v^^s now for many hours covered with sea- weed, drifted from the Gulf of Florida ; and on taking a portion of it m —■■■■» THE ATLANTIC. 139 out of the water, it presented some beautiful specimens. Nothing material or Remarkable Occurred till Saturday, the i6th, when, being in lat. 46" 50', and having sounded on the Great Bank of Newfoundland, we saw three large islands of ice floating towards us. The largest drifted very near the ship, and exi. hibited a surprising appearance. It was of considerable circumference, of an oval form, and rose at each extreme in the form of a turret, which was white as alabaster, and sparkled with the utmost brilliancy, from the faint influence of the evening sun. The sea beat over the solid base on which these turrets were raised, and once striking des- perately against the elevation nearest the ship, knocked off'its summit, which fell with awful aspect into the ocean. We fired a cannon-shot against the lower part, and though very close, tlie ball fell into the water, hardly leaving an impression of the blow. I ,y'4] 140 A TOUR THROUGH We regarded this magnificent structure of nature with double interest, as it brought to memory the many instances on record, of their having been the salvation of several of our shipwrecked fellow-sailors, and by im- pulse, carefully observed it with a glass, to ascertain if any traces of man were to be seen there. It is almost unnecessary to say, that, as it passed to windward, we felt the coldness of the air intense while it was abreast of us, and that, as it became distant, the climate moderated very sensibly. On the morning of the 19th, we spoke the Sibylle and Quebec frigates outside the harbour of St. John's, bound to Portugal and England with convoys from Newfoundland ; and in the evening of the same day we an- chored in the harbour, having been absent forty days. Notwithstanding our passage back was rather longer than we expected, the oxen m"f*f THE ATLANTIC* 141 were vvdUconditioncd ; and the fruit, which we had carefully packed in bran, as also our eggs, were in excellent preservation. We found every body round their fires, which indeed arc necessary here at almost all periods of the year; whereas, at the Azores, they never think of making a chimney, even in any room in the house, except the kitchen. It was the busy part of the fall ; and as the time approached for the convoys to sail, all was bustle and activity in the trade. To visit the large warehouses entirely stored with fish and oil ; to see the numerous vessels, loading with these commodities for all quar- ters of the globe, and, at the same time, to recollect that such a vast bulk of dried food had, a few days before, been animated, ac- tive, and formed a million beautiful crea- tures, each seeking its sustenance, and obeying the instinct of nature, was a subject of interesting contemplation. These fish, when dried for exportation, sell here for K 3 i . I. ji I ,1 1^; If A1 1- 142 A TOUR THROUGH fourteen shillings a quintal, or hundred weight, and the merchant receives a pre- mium on their importation in England. Business is done here to a very considerable extent, and many large fortunes have been rapidly made by persons, or rather specu- lators, that have ventured out here, and, by perseverance and a strict attf;ntion, have succeeded beyond belief, and realized a prodigious capital. There is also a very considerable benefit derived in a Newfound- land residence, there being no taxes nor rates of any sort, which press so heavily on the man of moderate income in other countries. Moreover, the Governor is invested with authority, from the King, to make certain grants of land, for well and correctly dis- posed persons to build on and improve, which becomes their individual property, and that of their heirs and successors, ac- cording to the nature or limitation of the grant. \* ^M' ' ' '■**» ' THE ATLANTIC. 14» A considerable number of beavers are to be found in the interior of the island ; and several officers hearing of a nest of them at a particular place, took a severe walk through woods and marshes, to witness, what I should certainly have been pleased with, could it have been effected with less toil— I mean the peculiar and curious inge- nuity of their houses. From the accounts given, it seems the teeth of these little ani- mals are their principal tools for work, and, from their length and sharpness, they arc enabled to gnaw through the toughest wood as large as the human arm. These they place in compact order, and roof i u with mud, clay, &c. the snuggest dwellings. From their amphibious nature, they usually build them in marshes. I have been fre^ quently assured they are excellent eating. Admiral Holloway ate of one shot by Co- lonel Murray, and I heard him assert, it was equal in flavour to a leveret, Nevey^ K 4 if Mt'i * i. .'li" f if! ■m theless iicss A TOUR THROUGH much as may be said for the searce- and novelty of the dish, from its appa- rent coarseness and strength, I could not be persuaded to overcome my prejudice, and I would as readily feast on one of the bears that are natives in the island. The silver- skinned fox abounds here, but the more esteemed black fur is very rarely to be met with, and sells for a high price. I had been told that the fine breed of dogs, for which Newfoundland is so eminent, had very much degenerated, and that none of the best blood were to be procured ; but we found that, although this was, in some in- stances, the case, there are yet many of the best of this fine species of animal to be had, at a moderate sum. This station has ever been esteemed by the oiBcers of the navy and marines, on account of the extreme kindness and hospitality of the inhabitants. They are continually forming pleasant parties, to make the tim of a gloomy and THE ATLANTIC. H^ uncomfortable climate pass easily along^ and they certainly succeed. I never yet heard any one speak of their manifold atten- tions, but in terms of sincere thankfulness j and those who were not under the influence and magnetic powers of a fond wife, have kfr it with regret ; for accustomed as is the sailor's mind to change, variety, and new characters, his feeling heart soon imbibes attachment for those who, by their obliging attentions, soften the hardships of his pro- fession. Thus passed our days pleasantly along, and ^very preparation was making for the voyage of the men of war and their convoys to their destinations. I li ' About |he 19th of October, His Majesty's ship the Jamaica returned from a cruize, and her officers corroborated the reports wc had heard from merchant- vessels, that suc- cessively arrived, of the vast and unusual quantities of ice on these parts of the ocean ; ' I ,. ^ u 146 A TOUR THROUGH she hiving, a few leagues from the mouth of the harbour, passed a large body of it, extending, as near as they could calculate, thirty miles from cast to west, which in- creased our apprehensions, that our voyage would be impeded by these formidable ob- structions. Nevertheless, on Sunday, the 2 2d, His Excellency the Governor, having received the complimentary address of a deputation of the civil authority, and the salute of the troops under the command of Major-general Moore, embarked in his barge, attended by his suite. On his pass- ing the squadron, he was received as Ad- miral and Commander in Chief, by man- ning the yards of the several ships of war, and his arrival on board his own ship was annc» need by a general discharge of cannon. The fclk Jng morning, convoy signals were lioi: .d, and every thing w^s bustle and activity in the merchant's house, the :^5th being settled for sailing.. This being IIP f THE ATLANTIC. H7 the day of jubilee to all His Majesty's sub- jects, the royal standard was hoisted on board the fleet, and royal salutes were fired by the shore batteries and ships. From adverse wind, however, it was the morning of the a6th, when the convoy weighed ; the flag-ship, and her convoy, steering the course for Great Britain, and the Vestal and her convoy for Portugal. We had not been at sea many hours, before it came to blow very strong, and the bad progress of the convoy compelled us to have every sail furled. The gradual increase of the gale, with a heavy sea running, rendered it im- possible for us to keep them together ; and, oflF Portugal, the only one that had been in sight for the last two days, also separated from us. Having passed fourteen or fif- teen days in this severe weather, a sudden change was the more pleasant, and we sen- sibly felt, the warmer latitude of the Portu- guese coast. We had chased many vessels, B t - m [48 A TOUR THROUGH all th( eager expectation of making a capture, and were as often disappointed, till the morning of the 15th of November, when we recaptured the brig Bellona, laden with fish-oil and seal-skin, from New- foundland, and, at noon, a fine ^hip, the Fortitude, laden with cotton and hides from Brasil. Such double success, two prizes in one day, after so many disappointments, seemed to presage future good, and as if the star of our better fortune was becoming lord of the ascendant. Confidence suc- ceeded to hope, and sanguine expectation to despondency. The horizon was nicely and repeatedly observed, and every strange sail presented itself to the warm imagination as a prize ; but under all these circumstances of ^ui vive, we were astonished at the dawn of Sunday, the 19th, being in lat, 45° 40', long. 10'' 50', to find ourselves two miles to leeward of a French squadron, consisting of two heavy frigates^ two corvettes^ and Mt %i THE ATLANTIC. 1 49 in armed brig, deeply laden, going, as we supposed, to the relief of GuadaIoup% They passed within gun-shot of us, we with English colours flying; without firing. Wc closely reconnoitred, and kept conn- pany with them for two hours. Cap- tain Graham, in the mean time, wrote to the Commanding Officers at the Tagus and Cadiz, dispatched our prizes with his letters to them, and made all sail for Eng- land, hoping, to use his own words, ** to meet a force that would enable him to bring them to action.** Although our wishes, on this great point, were not realized, and each individual lamented their superiority of force, and consequent unmolested progress, our spirits were again revived by the capture of L'Intrepide French privateer, at twelve o'clock the same night. She proved to be a remarkably handsome vessel, pierced for twenty guns, mounting fourteen nine- pounders and four cojiorns, quite new, ■•& 15^ A TOUR THROUGH well found, and a few days from BayonnS The prisoners were, of course, taken out, and efficient persons sent on board of her. It is impossible to describe the contrasted feelings on such occasions : one man is flushed with joy and success ; the other, a captive, desponding and miserable ; yet the impression on the Frenchman is, rightly, considered of a powerful but transient na- ture. The first half-hour, he laments in all the bitterness of grief, the hardness of his fate, the loss of his fortune, his wife, his children ; he describes their charms, their virtues, and their melancholy despair for his absence; he sheds tears of sorrow, and begs you to sympathize in his woe. He sud- denly exclaims, ** La fortune de la guerre;" sighs, laughs, talks politics, is bien con- tent in such good company, and no longer remembers his privations or difficulties^ # THE ATLANTIC. Among the captures which thi 1 cr »g tures which this privateer- was one extremely valuabia, being laden with Spanish wool, and she, at dusk, was but three miles from the priva- teer. We felt every possible hope, .that, at daylight, we should have been in sight of her, and the most judicious arrangement was made to accomplish our expectation ; but morning dawned to our disappointment, and our calculation of success faded quite iway ; but it gave Captain Graham an op- portunity of manifesting his zeal for the service, by not pursuing a wild search, but keeping his anxious course towards Eao-. land, with intelligence of the enemy *s move- ments, and proved how readily he could sacrifice his private interest to the public good. t '.• , Our intention was to have touched at Lisbon in our homeward passage, but the tempestuousness of the weather disappointed I i ■ -i ■* '% 15 z A TOUR THROUGH my expectations in this respect. Perhaps my reader may not be entirely satisfied with such an excuse. I have, therefore, tran- scribed, with the most willing permission on the part of my publisher, the account of that city from the Travels of the ci-devant Due de Chatel^t, in Portugal. The trans- lation has been elegantly made with more than usual accuracy, by the publisher him- self, who has transfused into his labours the full spirit of the original. Nothing can be more beautiful or majestic than the view of this port, of which a fine engraving is prefixed to the second volume of these Travels. It is defended by Fort Bugio, situated on an inland at the mouth of the Ta^^us. The city, rising hke an am- phitheatre, on the right bank of the river, exhibits a truly magnificent prospect. At the foot of the walls, the Tagus forms a bay, three leagues in width, which is an i ! t •w-f >r TTTTr^ THE ATLANTIC. '5.> excellent roadstead for vessels of every de- scription. The entrance to the harbour docs not, however, correspond with the beauty of the bay : the bar which is formed there renders the passage difficult for pilots not thoroughly acquainted with its shoals. Accordingly, all English ships arc for- bidden to enter the port unless they have on board native pilots, who come to meet them and take charge of the helm. The pilot is paid by the captain, who must not refuse his services upon pain of fine. Several ac- cidents which befel ships attempting to enter without ' c assistance of these harbour pilots induced the British government to enact this law. At the period of my arrival, Lisbon was in an agitation which I am incapable of describing. It was the eve of the celebra- tion of the Queen's coronation. The people were running to and fro, ^ingjng I. si 1 54 A TOUR THROUGH and dancing the foffa^ a national dance, which is performed in couples to the sound of a guitar or any other instrument — a dance so licentious, that modesty must blush to witness, and dare not attcnipt to depict it. I passed through the crowd, and took lodgings in the English hotel, situated at Buenos Ayres, one of the seven hills of Lisbon ; an agreeable spot, free from th^ stench which infects the city in summer, and the rain which immdates it in the winter. The square of Cornmercc * was chosen a§ the place best adapted to the ceremony of the coronation. It is large, and situated * This is also called the square cf the Terriero (!• Va^Ot or Ground of the Palace. It is six hundred and fifteen fset in length, and five hundred and fifty in breadth. Three of its sides are lined with buildings, and the fourth by the Tagus. These edifices arc uni- form, but of mean architeclure.*-£rf//or. THE ATLANTIC. I55 on the banks of the Tagus. The streets which run from it are broad and handsome, and have pavements, like those of London, for foot-passengers. On reaching the side facing the river, you enter this square by passing under a triumphal arch of the Doric order, but of heavy architecture. Below the buildings which form the sides of the square runs a gallery, which would be very handsome if it were less ruinous. In the middle of the square is erected an equestrian statue of King Joseph I. with the face to- ward the river. At the foot of this statue the Marquis de Pombal had placed a brohze medallion of himself; the day preceding the coronation, it was removed by his ene- mies, to make room for the arms of the city. At the time of the inauguration of this monument, designed to commemorate the rebuilding of Lisbon, the King, under whose auspices it was erected, and, above all, the omnipotent minister who reigned L z ti I'ff 3!" 1 Ji.'j fl rOUR THROUGH ia his stead, a medal was struck (in 1775) representing, on one side, the equestrian statue of Joseph I. with this inscription : Magnanlmo Restauratori — and on the other, the city of Lisbon under the figure of a crowned female, surrounded by architects and warriors. Round this medalHon arc these words : Fast fata rcsurgens. But both the monument and the medal convey but a very unfavourable idea of the ctate of the fine arts in Portugal. The coronation of the Queen took place with great magnificence, amid the discharge of artillery and the acclamations of an im- mense concourse of people assembled, from all quarters, to witness the ceremony. The Queen alone seemed to take no share in the general joy. She was painfully affected. The principal nobles of the court had re- solved to instigate the people, to demand of her the head of tlie Marquis de PombaL THE ATLANTIC. 157 The Queen was informed of their intention^ she was apprehensive of danger from re- fusal ; but though she disliked the states- man, she respected the friend of her father. I was likewise acquainted with these ma- chinations, and resolved to be a near spec- tator of the agitation which they were likely to occasion. I ran through the streets with a Frenchman, conversant in the Portuguese language, and mingled with the crowd Nothing was heard in every quarter but the name of Pombal ; the minds of the multi- tude began to be inflamed, a tumult was ""about to commence, when i\U at once ap- peared a patrole of horse headed by an officer, who, addressing the mob, forbade them, upon pain of the severest punishment, to mention the name of M. de Pombal. The crowd soon dispersed ; the streets were in an instant filled with horse and foot so]. 4iers, and they were so attentive to the dis, ^ 3 i HJ JjS A TOUR THROUGH p^rsion of all assemblages of people, the moment they began to form, that the popu- lace were obliged to relinquish their inten^ tion. All the fidalgos ^ manifested th^ utmost astonishment and agitation. They were seen running to and fro, sending messages from the gallery where, they were stationed, and darting, on the people, looks express sive of anger and impatience. Recourse had been prudently had to the precaution of dividing the populace, by means of barriers erected at intervals, so that the crowd wat* separated, and, in some measure, imprison- ed without perceiving it. A kind of murn * By fidalgos are, in general", understood the unr titled nobility. These fidalgos have a pension assigtved them by the King from a capital of forty thousand crusades set apart for that purpose. A crusade is equal to three livres four sous French (25, lod, English). "^^ote by the Author, THE ATLANTIC, 159 mur was nevertheless heard, and seven or eight voices cried: ** Pombal, Pombal !** but they were instantly drowned by shouts of •* Long live the Queen !" raised by the partizans of the Marquis. A great number of spectators had forced their way through the guards into the gallery ; the Queen or- dered thenn not to be disturbed. As it was impossible for carriages to approach, she was herself obliged to go through the crowd to reach hers. This was the most delight-, ful moment of her life. Some threw them- selves at her feet, others kissed the skirls of her robe, and ghe was affected even tq tears. a The illuminations were brilliant; the ceremony was performed with equal tran^ quillity and pomp. At night the English nation gave a magnificent ball to; the prin-» cipal inhabitar^ts of this city^jio doubt, in testimon) of its gratitude for it was that 4- 4 :: >Vi li i6o A Tour «ihkcugu nation, which the O the real sovereign of Portugal, had been crowned in the in the person ot ueen. Next day the people; resumed the mourning which they had thrown off on the preceding day. Amidst the general joy occasioned by the falj of Pombal, an air of sadness universally prevailed, and the com- pany, on quitting the ball, hastened to the churches. Jhc greatest calamity that desolates this country is the earthquakes to which it is subject. The Tagus is frequently seen co- vered with bituminous substances which issue from its bed, as well as from the hills of the city and its environs : which shews that the soil, below the bed of the river and the interior of those hills, contain a vast assemblage of sulphureous and saline particles, whose continual fermentation pro- duces explosions more or less considerable. m ^« \i..a} \ ■ ^&- THE ATLANTIC. l6l it\ proportion as these inflammable sul^- stanccs are more or less abundant. The earthquake, which, in 1755, destroyed the whole city of Lisbon, and the frightful traces of which are still to be seen, has ex- cited the curiosity of the most celebrated philosophers. The result of their observa- tions is an inexhaustible source of alarm for the unfortunate inhabitants. It seems to have been demonstrated, from the ravages produced by that calamity, particularly on the spot where the city is built, that the focus of the fermentation is situated exactly beneath its site. For near a thousand years its inhabitants have, from age to age, ex- perienced periodical earthquakes which Jiave ruinpd and destroyed their city ; and in building it again, they may actually be considered to say : ** Our children and grand-children shall be buried under the ruins of the edifices which we are erecting 4 I If I i6a A TOUR THROUGH Upon the shattered rdics of those which overwhelmed our fathers*." Notwithstanding the salubrity of the cli- mate, the plague has often made dreadful havoc in Portugal, The two kings John I. and Edward I. died of it, one in 1433 and the other in 1437. The funeral oration de- livered on the death of the former monarch is the first of which Portuguese history makes mention. In winter the cold is sensibly felt in Portugal i nevertheless, in this country there are no iire^placcs except in the * The earthquakes are commonly felt at I/jsbon in, the month of November. On this subject we have the following interesting observation : When October and the beginning of November are dry, earthquakes are certain and almost always violent; when the raias are copious and set in early, there is cither no earthquake, or the shock i$ but very slight .—JScf/^ar. •«%f \l M \\} TliE ATLANTIC, 1 63 kitchens *. I have been assured that, for twenty-three years, the heat at Lisbon has not been so intense as that which I felt in the month of July 1777 ; it was indeed so powerful as almost to deprive me of the faculty of breathing, I waited with im* patience for the return of night, to enjoy the pleasing coolness of the air, which would be still more agreeable and refreshing if the dirtiness of its inhabitants did not diminish its purity. As soon as it is dark, the streets arc filled with filth, dead animals. ;'; fi ♦ The inhabitants of Lisbon never warm ^.hemselrcs. H^atterly a few persons have had fire-places niade^ but ihere are not more than, perhaps, thirty in the whole city. You do not even find, in apartments, thosQ coal -pans, or cppas, that are commonly used in Spain. l^oih men and women keep at home, wrapped up in large cloaks of woollen stuff, which they wear abroad, at the theatre, in the churches, and in company. They jliave this extraordinary prejudice, that the artificial heat of fire is dangerous to health; as if cold and humidity were not still more pernicious.— jBrf/Vor, 1! i 1 1 1 1 tM ,t :i li.!. ,i.".' « 64 A TOUR TIlROaCH and cspcciall)r doo;s, thousands of whose trcw tlie streets of Lisbon : but I :arcases str L^y eight in the the of the morning, the power sun has consumed all those disgusting ob- jects, which otherwise would infect the city, and indubitably generate the plague. On the first of November 1755, the at- mosphere was pure and serene, with every appearance of a fine day, when, about half past nine in the morning, a terrible noise was heard, and was immediately succeeded by a dreadful shock. The palaces, the churches, the houses, were reduced in a moment to a heap of ruins. It was cal- culated, but only by guess, that about thirty thousand persons perished on that fatal day, for the government had not yet taken a census of the inhabitants of Lisbon, Had the earthquake happened on a working day,, and an hour later, the destruction would have been much greater. The ciiEnate of •TtlE ATLANTIC, i6 Lisbon presenting a perpetual spring, all the people make a practice of going into the country on holydays. The other days of the week, they are seen, at ten in the morning, repairing in crowds to the churches. Most of the persons, who pe- rished, were crushed by the roofs of those sacred edifices, to wliich they had {{t^d, some from devotion, and others from fear. The flames, bursting from beneath the ruins, completed the destruction of almost every thing that had escaped the tremendous concussion *. Property, to an immense * It is certain, that the Csirthquake Itself made less havoc than the conflagration and the robbers, who ap- peared in great numbers during this horrid catastrophe. All those, however, were hung that were found with gold, which exhibited any marks of fire, in their pockets. Not only the person who picked it up, but aho the receiver, was suspended within a quarter of au hour before his own door or window. This extremely rigorous measure, it is true, cost many innocent people their lives, but it preserved the city from pillage.— A'b^^ % the Author. im 4 l66 A TOUR THROUGH nmount, was ronsumedi the sea rose to an extraordinary height, the vessels were dashed against each other, and the wind, which blew with great fury, increased the con- flagration. The old men, women, chil- dren, the sick, who were still in bed, were smothered, without the possibility of any effort being made for their relief: some pe- rished in the flames, and others were crushed by the fall of the floors, walls, and roofs. The robbers, mingling among the people, plundered, murdered, and heightened the terror of, the inhabitants, who fled in all directions, invoking the assistance of Hea- ven, and totally at a loss which way to go for safety. The streets, strewed with the dead, blocked up with fallen edifices, or impassable, on account of the flames, inter- cepted the fugitives. All the inhabitants, who were, at length, so fortunate as to escape, quitted I< THK ATLANTIC. 167 the city, and repaired to the mountain.— -Let us now follow M. dc Pombal amidst this dreadful catastrophe, the most brilliant epoch of his life. Fly ing to all quarters of the city, he here afforded relief, and.thcre imparted consolation. Wherever he ap- peared, his presence restored tranquillity, and dispelled f«ar. Fiis activity succeeded in repairing those evils, for which there yet remained a remedy ; his severity re^^rained the excesses, which impunity .vould have encouraged. In the space of a week, his fertile mind produced two hundred anr^ thirty ordi- nances; all the robbers, ana dishirbers of public order, who were taken in the fact, were immediately hanged. Through his indefatigable exertions, the dead bodies were very soon interred, and many were thrown into the sea in lime-sacks. Sup- phes of provisions were procured, without i6& A TOUR THROUGH loss of time, from the contiguous provinces* In a word, by his courage, his perse- verance, and his firmness, he prevented the people from abandoning a city, which ex^ hibitcd nothing but ruins, and the image o^ dfspair. He spared no efforts to remove, as speedily as possible, the vestiges of so many calamities. He opened streets through the midst of the ruins. Every one looked upon him as the saviour of the citizens who had escaped this disaster. His carriage was, for several days, his cabinet, his bed, his only abode. Forty-cight hours elapsed, without his taking any nourishment, except a basin of broth, which his wife carried to him herself. Not a single individual of the royal fa- mily was hurt. The court that very day chanced to go to Belem *, and was on the * Belem is a large monastery, situated on the banks of the Tagiis, at the western extremity of the citv - 4*rmsT THE ATLANTIC. 169 way thither, at the moment of the shock. Had it not been for this fortunate accident, all the Princes, the King, Queen, and their retinue, woulc^ have perished beneath the ruins of the palace, which was totally dc- molished. Madame de Pombal had not risen ; the wall at the head of her bed fell formerly contained one hundred and fifty monks 5 their number at present is but forty, and it possesses a re^ venue of forty thousand crusades. At the time of th« earthquake, only some parts of the choir were shakeh and demolished: the nave sustained no injury. To the right of the choir, as you enter, is the tomb of the King Don Sebastian, who died in Africa, where hd was making war upon the Moors. The Portuguest^ who are simple and superstitious, assert, that it is not the body of that King which it contains, since he is not dead, and will some day return. Every one knows what numbers of impostors have attempted to pass themselves off for King Sebastian. As the Mar- quis de Pombal was not less powerful than the King, and his name was Sebastian, the Portuguese took oc- casion to say that their silly tradition was accomplished, — JVb/e by the Aiiihor, M *i i i I i 170 A TOUR THROUGH :4 -■■< '. down behind the tapestry, Half dead with fright, she hastily rose J and, notwithstand- ing her terror, retained sufficient presence of mind to place herself under the door-case of hsr chamber. Though every thing fell around her, she remained unhurt. She ran in quest of h^T children ^ that part of the house in which they were, had received no damage, and she had the good fortune to save them all. She now began to be greatly alarmed on account of her husband, who had gone abroad early j and was soon in- formed that he was, already, engaged in affording relief to the unhappy sufferers ; she resolved to go tp him, to share his exer- tions and his dangers ; but her mules had been crushed to death, and her carriages broken in pieces » ^■■^h-im The court, being now without a habita- tion, }ived for eight days in tents. It must be admitted that, on this occasion, the royal ■mWit '^- \{ THE ATLANTIC. 171 hmily set the people an example of forti- tude and benevolence. The Queen ap. propriated a portion of her small allowance of provisions to the relief of the most dis- tressed objects. All the activity, and all the vigilance, of the minister, were not suf- ficient to prevent excesses during the first days. Enormities of every kind were com- mitted. The convents of all the orders, and of both sexes, had been burned ; the monks and the nuns, following the popu- lace, who fled to the mountains, had escaped. The soldiers, the nuns, the monks, had also taken refuge there, and passed the two first nights, intermingled, in the greatest confusion. This gave rise to scandalous scenes and crimes. Finding themselves all equally destitute of an asylum, they insulted the Supreme Being, who had spared their lives. Vi M 2 r. ■ - '}A %. 17 A TOUR THROUGH The riches, consumed by the flames, were immense. The King's palace, full of costly articles, was utterly destroyed, scarcely one stone being left upon another. All the jewels, treasures, and furniture, were en-, gulfed, with the palace, in the bosom of the earth. This loss, alone, was estimated at fifteen millions of livres. But the total value of all tliat was destroyed, or irrecover^ ably lost, in private houses, furniture, money, precious stones, jewels, church- plate, ornaments, pictures, &c. amounted to the prodigious sum of two thousand two hundred and eighty-four millions. The Marquis ^^^. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) % 4'^ ^^ €P. s ** c? .^ MP, 1-.,^^ 1.0 :!: 45 llllj^ 3.2 I.I I, '- __ 1.25 M Z2 20 IIIIIM U lilll 1.6 m ^ ^3 cf: /i ^% ;,;> ^/ <5>^ w ^. Photographic Sci&ces Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 ^% ' which gives light every instant, find leaves no hesitation to the pilot in respect to x knowledge of the dangers he is approaching. We now seemed quite happy ; a favour^ ing gale carried us past the western circuit with astonishing quickness : the next morn,, ing we saw the Isle of Wight, and, in the afternoon, cast our anchor at St. Helen's. I know not a more gratifying sensation than the return to our beloved country from a foreign clime ; and here she presents a scene that would vie with any picture the world could produce. On the right is seen the majestic spire of Chichester; and, on the left, the beautiful island of Wight, that forms so complete a shelter to our navy, and places the roadstead of Spithead beyond competition. The yast range of ships that THE ATLANTIC. I9I extend far as the eye can reach, impresses the beholder with the extent of our com- merce ; and the large arsenal of Portsmouth, with a conviction of our being lords of the mighty main, while the science displayed in the fortifications of that town, is cal- culated to establish a competition with the most complete masters of that branch of the art of war. The next morning was one of the most serenely beautiful I ever saw ; and as we weighed to work up to Spithead, from which a large convoy of ships was standing out, with a fair breeze ; every tack brought us nearer and nearer to tlie anchorage, wbence we had, six months before, taken our departure. m- :W 1 cannot imagine a greater treat to a phy- siognomist than to contemplate the various expression of countenance of a number of N 4 192 A TOUR THROUGH persons of different rank, connexions, and interests, but generally governed by the same honourable sentiments of attachment to their native land, and the beloved ob** jects it contains, and which is no where to be found so strongly marked as -.1 the fea» tures of the officers and crew, just coming to a well-known port, after a long and sue cessful cruize. The kind husband, the indulgent father, the affectionate son, and the anxious lover, are seen in their variety of feeling and character, all actuated by ^ different sentiment, but emanating from the same noble source — a good and brav« heart. ' 4^t two o'clock on this day, Novembcjr 25th, the Vestal anchored at Spithead. It would be a seeming ingratitude not to es;- press the comfort and happiness, I venture to say, we all experienced drying out tour through the Atlantic, TIIE ATLANTIC. 193 Every person who has seen the nature of public service, is fully aware of the influ- ence and power vested in the coinmanding officer. Captain Graham has the peculiar manner of commanding the hearts as well as the actions of his people; and, by hi« general indulgence and conciliatory man- ners, commands the respect and ready obe- dience of his officers: thus it was im- possible, with the general correctness, ex- perience, and gentlemanly manners, of my messmates, that I should not look forward to the prosp^t of a future voyage, with a firm expectation of enjoying all the ad- vantages I have hitherto done in so eminent a degree, and of the anticipation of results advantageous to my own, and glorious to imy country's, interests. THE PND.