I must one day part with them, perhaps for ever, and `this sensation has been so constant and so unpleasant that I often felt a disinclination to form new intimacies, since in this world it is impossible to be always in the society of our friends, and the regret for their absence is a great alloy to the pleasure that we have received from their presence.

"The evening of the day that we left Philadelphia brought us to Wilmington, where we passed the night. The next morning we passed through Newport where I was introduced to captain Geddes, the commandant of our squadron; and in the afternoon of the same day we arrived at Port Penn. Here Mrs. Cathcart's father, Mr. Woodsides and his son left us, and returned to Philadelphia.

"Port Penn is a small village of about thirty houses, situated on the Delaware about fifty miles from Philadelphia. It is chiefly supported by furnishing accommodations to the seamen of the vessels that are detained here by the ice in winter. The harbour is about a quarter of a mile from the town, and is formed by Reedy Island and by piers built out from the shore. The town is situated on a small eminence that hardly elevates it above the low marshy country that surrounds it on all sides. These together with the marshy island that is opposite to it would seem sufficient to render it unhealthy, yet the inhabitants declare that before the last summer it had been remarkably healthy, but this assertion is not confirmed by the sallow aguish complexion which I saw in every face.

"Even here' said Cæsar, on entering a small town in the Apennines, there are contests for superiority,', and even in this spot did we find that the dæmon of political dissention had established his empire. Not having any other method of publicly expressing their political differences, the inhabitants distinguish themselves from being patrons of either the federal or democratical tavern. Luckily however for the honour of federalism, the government tavern is the best house in the place and consequently obtains a respectable proportion of custom. Accident care ried me to this house, and I consequently received my share of credit in having (unintentionally) promoted so laudable an institution. We found our patriotic host with his head nearly turned by dreams of the future grandeur of this miserable spot, to which he thinks that all the trade of Philadelphia will be transferred in consequence of the ravages of the yellow fever. It is an ill wind that blows nobody good, says a selfish proverb.

"Walking through the streets of this village I could but smile at what some will call the insolence and others the wit of a negro fellow whom I passed. I wore a pair of shoes than which, to own the truth, there might have been better, and on viewing which the fellow with an expressive glance began to sing as he passed by, part of a negro song, "dance away my jolly boys, boys dance out your shoes," &c. So prone are men to receive pleasure at every opportunity of doing any thing that they think will give a fellow creature a sense of humiliation. The oblique

manner of telling me that my shoes were worn out, gave him: I dare say a great source of exultation.

"December 26th captain Geddes arrived, and we began to prepare for sea.

"In examining the crews of the vessels this day, I found them in a pretty healthy state; but found sufficient cause for vexation in the medicine chests furnished for the vessels. These were put up by an apothecary in Philadelphia, who had stuffed them with a farrago of useless articles, selected without judgment. Had it not been for a few articles that I brought with me from Philadelphia, the most essential medicines of the materia medica would have been wanting.

"This, with some other trifling disappointments, had thrown me into a peevish discontented humour, and having to take a cold and solitary walk from the town to the piers after dark, I was indulging as I went along in ruminations of a sombre complexion. In order to pass from the pier to the Sophia it was necessary to cross upon the ice, which, from a considerable thaw in the day, was rather a hazardous attempt. Thinking of this and putting the question to myself, "what if I should be drowned?" I began to philosophize upon the subject, and very wisely concluded that it might be to my advantage, as I should then be freed from all the troubles and vexations of this world. Scarcely had I made this conclusion when I arrived at the pier, and attempting to get upon the rce I found myself over head and ears in the water. My philosophy vanished in an

instant: I scrambled out upon the ice as fast as I could; and got on board in a better humour with the world than I had been all day. My speculations were all overturned by this seasonable cold bathing, and never once occurred to me before the next day. "We were detained at Port Penn by the ice until the 4th of January 1799, when the squadron set sail and were out of sight of the land next morning.

"It was astonishing to me what a great difference was experienced in the temperature of the air at sea, from what it was on shore. We seemed to be at once transported by inchantment from January to May. The change did not produce any change in the health of any one on board, excepting a few slight headaches.

"During the night of the 6th we were separated from our consorts the Hassan Bashaw, and the Skjoldbrand.

"Authors have frequently mentioned a shining appearance observable in the wake of a vessel, which is commonly supposed to be produced by luminous sea insects. In a dark night when the vessel has been sailing pretty fast, I have observed among the foam which dashed off from the bow, the appearance of large sparks of fire which continued visible for some time, floating away into the wake. If these together with the first mentioned phenomenon are owing to luminous animals, what is the reason that they are never perceived unless in the track of a vessel? Is it that the light is of an electrical nature and is excited by percussion against the ship?

During all our run we have seen gulls almost every day.

"29th. This morning we discovered the island of St. Mary's, the southernmost of the Azores. The western extremity is level, but on the south and east it rises to a very great height. The islands of which this is one received their name from a Portuguese word signifying a hawk, from the great number of those birds observed flying about them by the first discoverers. The inhabitants are described as a simple inoffensive people. It was with a degree of regret that we passed by this island after having been so long at sea, and we continued on deck some hours gazing at the land which our distance prevented us from seeing distinctly; but which view, imperfect as it was, gave us a sensible pleasure by forming a break in the monotony of the horizon.

"The idea of some remains of that genuine simplicity which poets have been so fond of describing, being still to be found here, made me behold the island with a still more favourable eye, and produced the following effusion.*

"We passed about five leagues to the southward of the island, and by night had lost sight of it.

"February 8th. Early this morning we discovered the Barbary shore. The only objects that we perceived for some time as we ranged along it, were high barren rocks that scarce produced a vegetable. As we advanced we discovered small spots of cultivated land in the valleys, part in green corn of some

• Vide Sonnet, on passing the Azores. Post.