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every moment, so high is the sea even on soundings. Having remained the required time and received the despatches, mails, &c., we joyfully turned our head homewards, "sed Deus aliter visum as the sequel will show. In fine weather, the approach of a norther can be always ascertained, by the manner in which the land wind veers; if from west towards south, fair weather continues, but if it once gets to the northward of west, it invariably freshens up to a gale in the season of the norther, and just before it commences the scud can be perceived progressing at no small pace from south-east to north-west. Although it may appear a risk, I think it better for a vessel to keep as near the land as possible on these occasions. The wind blows more along shore, if weather and sky is clear, observations can be obtained; and if the land is known, bearings can be taken. It is a comfort to know where you are, although you cannot make use of the wiud. The longitude can be guessed roughly by the soundings, and there are no dangers within three miles of the shore, till you pass to the northward of Tuopau. The gale first lulls inshore, and the heavy dense bank can be seen, about twenty or twenty-five miles out, and there it hangs until the gale breaks altogether, enveloping many a hapless helpless vessel in utter darkness, whilst their more inshore neighbours enjoy comparatively fine weather.

On the 15th of January we took our departure from Vera Cruz, at the same moment in which the "Sheldrake packet arrived from England, without communication however. We were set to the southeast by light north-east winds, and thereby escaped a gale which blew to the northward of us. We had the concomitant swell as long and as heavy as usual, but as we had only light winds, odd puffs, and dark lowering weather, we made up at the expense of our bones and want of rest, the quantum of annoyance, which a heavy gale would have given. The current setting to the north-eastward about one mile per hour, we were occasionally favoured with a cross sea, which effectually saved us the trouble of either washing ourselves or the deck. We again struck on the Campeche bank, about forty miles to the northward of our departure from it, and found the current as before, setting in very nearly three miles per hour. Sounding as we proceeded, we passed to the southward of Arenas Cay, about one mile distant, to the westward of which island, at three miles distance, we discovered a shoal having seven and eight fathoms on it; there might be less, but we could not spare time to examine, but rated the chronometers as we passed. Taking the line of 100 fathoms as the boundary of the bank, it does not extend so far to the northward as laid down in the charts now in use, 22° 56′ 30′′ north, and 89° 49' west, being its boundary in one particular spot, then by curtailing its extent to the northward about twenty-five miles, from thence it trends to the north-eastward. We had a very tedious passage of sixteen days to Havana. Here we arrived on the evening of the 31st, in want of everything, having been supplied on the previous day with a little biscuit and water by a Spanish brig, whose captain was so kind as to send a present of cigars, and about three gallons of excellent Catalonia wine, not at all out of season. The next morning we had the satisfaction of being put in quarantine, lest that cleanest, most wholesome, and sweet scented city,

should be infected, advices having arrived previously that the smallpox was raging at Vera Cruz, although we never heard a word about it when there. Never dreaming of such a thing as quarantine, I had immediately on my arrival gone on board her Majesty's ship Romney, reported myself, and returned different articles which we had in charge from her, and if the consul had not happened to have been out of town, I should certainly have landed the mail, and the sapient doctors would have known nothing of it. Several boats came to us. However, we kept the Romney's business a secret, and the commander took care to go ashore early and stop all day, perhaps for fear of mistakes. We were kept nearly starved the whole of the next day, as the attending boat only visits once a-day, and there is no parlatorio as in civilized countries, subject to quarantine. There they are always in a hurry, and even bordering on insolence, when we were obliged to detain them a little to arrange our correspondence with the shore. We ought, however, eternally to be indebted to Havana, for the near opportunity it afforded of a short passage to the next world, to which all good christians hope to go. We were surprised on the day of our departure, by an intimation from H.B.M. consul, that a scheme had been laid by the amateurs of the profession in the city, to exercise their abilities on our throats, and indemnify themselves for the trouble by pocketing some three thousand dollars on board. We happened to sit up rather too late, and gave the moon an opportunity of rising, so these brave gentry abandoned their project; however, had they come, we were certainly equipped in most formidable style for their reception, the total armament consisting of one musket, which would go off, and another which would not, and a rusty fowling-piece for which no balls were cast.

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Having supposed that all our labours would cease at Havana, we had looked forward to it as an oasis in our pilgrimage, and were certainly rather aback;" when a requisition from the consul, told us that we must proceed to some of the nearest continental ports for the transmission of our precious cargo, via New York to England. Having taken on board Mr. J. Turnbull, a relative of H.B.M. consul, in whose charge the mails, &c., were to proceed overland or by steam to New York, we weighed, certainly glad to escape from an approximation to want in the midst of plenty.

I am almost convinced, from the result of repeated, and I may say, almost hourly astronomical observations, that the current of the gulf stream, traced from the Yucatan Bank to the north of Cape Florida, does not run at an uniform rate throughout the twenty-four hours, but that its greatest strength is always during the ebb tide. These observations have been made in moderate and most favourable weather; the above may in some measure account for the inequalities and difficulties generally experienced in the gulf. It cannot be supposed that the foregoing observation is equally applicable on the decrease of the moon : however, a conclusion can be drawn from the following fact, "that the current in the Old Bahama and Santaren Channels, on the increase of the moon runs to the eastward, on the decrease to the westward, unless checked by strong gales." As the water finds its way up the deepest channels, say, that first it comes up the Old Bahama Channel, it there meets the stream running to the eastward, along the north coast ENLARGED SERIES. NO. 10.-VOL. FOR 1841. 4 P

of Cuba, and evidently checks it by the strong' ripplings raised at their junction; going along, it is joined obliquely by the Santaren current, and that of the New Providence Channel, which is seldom considerable, on account of the tortuous course of the channel and other means of expending itself, it has to fill the tongue of the ocean. The great impediment is, the water which must be forced in against the stream between the Little Bahama Bank and coast of Florida. Perhaps the superficial check which the stream receives from the above cause, is not equal to the superficial impetus imparted, by the waters flowing off the shallow Bahama Bank and Florida reefs, which must all tend to the increase of the gulf stream, and I believe it has been found that the stream is not equal in force at different depths. The real force of the gulf stream is seldom much felt before arriving abreast of the Tortugas, where it first begins to be hemmed in, and I believe its greatest rapidity to exist where it first feels the force of the Santaren current, or to the northward of the Key Sal bank.

On the 5th we observed the total eclipse of the moon at Gun Cay. The first intimation from natural phænomena which we had of being on the American coast, was a most plentiful and timely supply of black fish, a species of snapper, which we caught on the bank, about thirty miles to the eastward of Savana in ten fathoms water; the current sets north a little westerly, from four gradually decreasing to three knots an hour. When on soundings, as is invariably the case, we lost the influence of the current;-the current on soundings is ruled by the direction and force of the wind. A very good criterion whereby to judge, whether you are on soundings or not is the difference of temperature of both air and water, both being much colder on than off. By the help of a light sea wind and north-east current, (from whence it had last blown,) we on the 10th of February made Savana light, about twenty miles distant, and at 2 o'clock A.M., the 11th, anchored in two fathoms on the northern breakers. We took in a pilot, and proceeding up the river, met as is usual great quantities of wild ducks, and were so unfortunate as to lose a tide, the pilot having grounded us opposite a new fort, being built about a mile from the light-house.

The cold was intense, and our crew being all Bahamians, were greatly affected by it, so much so, as almost to incapacitate them from work. By dint of perseverance, we anchored off the town at eleven at night, having beat up against a strong north-west breeze, freezing very hard, the schooners bows being covered with icicles. Eight days before at Havana, the thermometer stood at 86°, and we were destined to find it nearly as hot on our return to New Providence, after a four days' passage. As we carried a pendant, the Bahamian British subjects were suffered to remain on board, with an intimation, that if they presumed to land they would be incarcerated, and there kept till our departure, (Oh land of liberty!) Had they belonged to a vessel not in government employ, they would have been taken out of her, kept in prison at the vessel's expense, and an additional expense imposed by the necessity of hiring drunken white-skinned labourers to do their work.-they are no better off in this particular than before the emancipation. Whilst here, the thermometer (I was told,) fell to 24°, the West Indians being regularly done up.'

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Although the town is built on an elevation from the river, there being nothing but level ground about, no very flattering view can be obtained. The houses are mostly built of wood, being best adapted to a climate so very damp in summer, and look exceedingly picturesque when neatly painted. Public buildings, manufactories, mills, "et hoc genus omne,' are built of brick, the outskirts are pine-barren.

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The cotton shipping was going on very slow, although upwards of two dozen large British vessels were lying in the river. The plan is this;-large vessels from British America and Elsinore, come here to load cotton or rice. If they get a good freight they proceed to England with it, but if freights are low, they load with pitch, pine and lumber, proceed to St. Johns, unload, and re-ship the same wood as Canadian timber, thereby escaping the heavy duty on foreign timber; heretofore the form of unloading and re-loading was not enforced, but I understand that the authorities have become very strict in that particular lately. The same is the case in the Bahamas, with respect to Cuba and St. Domingo mahogany.

The market was very abundant;-shad and oysters the principal luxuries in vogue,-who that has once tasted shad forgets its exquisite flavour it is certainly a very near approach to the king of fish. Wild turkies, (dead,) and deer, (alive,) wild and fresh from the forest, in abundance.

The principal topics of conversation, were the " Etarnal Banks" and the President Elect."

There seems to be a most curious, and not very generous idea pervading most people here, namely, that the British are but seeking some cause of quarrel to involve them in a war, and attempt the liberation of the slaves. I will not assert that such is the opinion of enlightened men, I refer to those never to be silenced-boarding-house frequenters, and they have no small influence on public opinion. We had a grand display of volunteer corps, infantry, and cavalry, and they were very tasty and splendid in uniform, and tolerably regular in marching and evolutions, after the French style; all fine young men, who seemed to take much pride in the affair, and just as much followed and crowded by their fellow-townsmen as any recruiting party at home. The streets I have no doubt, in the summer season present a far different and more pleasing aspect, as they are sufficiently wide to allow a double row of the Pride of India, forming no doubt, a most agreeable and fragrant shade, and delicious promenade for the beaus and belles, of whom, however, those who can afford it, betake themselves either to the mountains or to the northward, so prevalent is the fever. At present, they look wretchedly bare, a mass of dark sand, every wheel sinking four or five inches deep therein, comfortless to the pedestrian and injurious to the eyes!

There seems to be a large number of boarding-house single gentlemen about, and I have been informed of half the reason why; they appear to do nothing from daylight to dark, but eat, drink, smoke, and chew tobacco, talk and sit before the fire; they live by the labour of a few negroes whom they possess, and who hire themselves into the town to work, paying their owners from the sweat of their brow, dragging on a miserable existence themselves.

The presbyterian church is decidedly the most beautiful building in the town, and would be an ornament to any town, built of northern granite; one of its chief beauties lies in the simplicity and elegance of its spire.

The episcopalian, built "à la Parthenon," has been spoiled by raising its basement, so as to admit of a sunday school beneath; we can easily forgive such a fault.

There are great numbers of Irish here, who, when work is plenty do very well, obtaining six or seven shillings sterling per diem. Father Matthew ought certainly to be here amongst them. Drink is so plentiful, that they are worse off than at home; they say that when by chance they obtain a large sum of money, off to home they go to spend it, and anon, return destitute and penny less as at first, although citizens, "Ould Ireland for ever" is the cry.

Perhaps the name of Mitchell, the pirate, may be familiar, a cogno. men how earned I cannot pretend to say, but that he has been twice tried in the State for piracy, and acquitted. Here he roams about at pleasure. About two months ago he came to this port, and presented himself to a fraternity of methodists, saying, "truly he had been a bad character, but at length had seen the error of his ways, and intended to amend;" promising at the same time to the society, part of a large sum of money, which he said he had buried in his expeditions on Cat Cay. One of the Bahamas "auri sacra fames!" one of the community, a "smart man" too, as knowing people are here styled, fitted out a schooner for him.

Mr. Mitchell having managed in the interim to ensnare by golden promises, a very respectable woman in the "silken bands of matrimony," departed, and had just left the Cays as we put in. Having been ashore for two days digging without success, he had taken his bearings with much formality, and stamping on the spot with great emphasis, like a second Raleigh, exclaimed, "Behold the treasure." He was endeavouring to gull them again, with what aim I cannot imagine, perhaps it may be a delusion, however, I caused it to be circulated, that if he or his vessel were caught trespassing on British territory, such a clearance as he could obtain at Savana would not clear them.

Perhaps the species of money, elegantly styled "shin plasters," which in conjunction with the cent pieces, form the only change to be obtained, requires a little elucidation; they consist of notes of credit, issued by different firms, companies, and have latterly descended as low as storekeepers. A "shin plaster," bearing this superscription, "Good for a mile's ride on the railroad," passes for three cents," Good for a pair of shoes at my store," so much,-"Good for a julep at the bar," So much. One would suppose by the above, that people were obliged to ride, walk, or drink, whether or no, but no such thing, they pass as so much actual cash. Many had, like the banks, issued above their means and decamped, having made many gulls and good pickings; others again, solvent, have redeemed them all. What a state to be in! What encouragement for rogues! As we were the first foreign pendant that had been up to the town since the independance, and no provision having been made with respect to harbour dues, &c., we were "boarded"

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