JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE TO INDIA., lxi We from the N. W., an unfavourable quarter. were, however, able to get on with it in a tolerable, though not very direct course: in the evening it drew more aft, and, consequently, resumed in part, its proper character of S. W. Monsoon, though so light as to do little good. It is probable, however, that the slow progress of last night may have been a dispensation of great kindness towards us, since the officers are of opinion that a very severe storm has taken place in our present latitude, within the last few hours. An uncomfortable swell prevails, indicating something of the sort, and the number of insects and land-birds around us seem to imply that a hard gale has driven them so far out to sea. Among the insects several dragon-flies appear, precisely like those of England, and some very beautiful butterflies and winged grasshoppers. A turtledove and two hawks perched on the rigging, all so much fatigued, that the latter shewed no desire to molest the former. The day beautifully clear, but intensely hot. Both to-day and yesterday the fragrance of the land, or at least the peculiar smell which denotes its neighbourhood, was perceived by the experienced organs of Captain Manning and his officers; but I could not catch any thing in the breeze more than usual. We are all now in good spirits again, and the officers, more particularly, rejoice in having ascertained the latitude correctly, a circumstance agreeable at all times, but especially desirable when about to approach a dangerous coast, at a time of the year when the sun and stars are frequently obscured for weeks together.. lxii JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE TO INDIA. September 27.-At eleven this day the Pagoda of Juggernaut, and the two known by the name of the Black Pagodas were visible from the mast-head, bearing N.W. about eighteen miles, and only distinguishable, on this flat coast, from sails, by those who were previously aware of their forms and vicinity; three or four vessels were seen at the same time, supposed to be small craft engaged in the coasting trade. Our lat. at twelve, was 19° 30'. We had light wind with occasional squalls till twelve; after which a dead calm with a heavy and uncomfortable swell. I have been endeavouring, for these last two days, to compose a sermon, but my head aches, and my feelings are very unfavourable to serious mental exertion. It is some comfort to be assured that very few days in India are so severe as the weather which we now have, and our confined situation on ship-board makes us feel the heat more oppressive than we should otherwise do. The calm continued all day, and the seabreeze which arose at night, was by far too feeble to carry us on against a heavy swell and current from the N. E. September 28.-Found ourselves to the westward of our late station by a good many miles, and drifting in to the Pagoda of Juggernaut. We had prayers as usual, and I preached, I hope, my last sermon on ship-board during the present voyage. Afterwards we cast anchor in twenty-five fathom water, with Juggernâth about fifteen miles to the N. W. visible with the naked eye from the deck, JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE TO INDIA. lxiii and very distinctly so with a glass. Its appearance strongly reminds me of the old Russian churches. To the S. W. of us, at a considerably greater distance, are seen two small hills, said to be near Ganjan. Procul obscuros colles, humilemque videmus About three o'clock a little breeze sprung up from the S. W. just enough to enable us to stem the current. We weighed anchor, and crept slowly along the coast E. by N. The evening was cool and pleasant, and we derived some amusement and mental occupation from watching the different objects which we passed. The immense hostile current and swell were much against us, and the night grew by degrees squally and rainy. The captain and chief mate were up nearly all night, and very anxious. The soundings showed a bottom of coarse sand and a little gravel. September 29.-In the morning we had the mortification to find ourselves still in sight of Juggernaut and the Black Pagoda, and in fact very little advanced from our station at day-break the preceding day. The breeze was quite incompetent to contend with the swell and current from the N. E., and all which we could comfort ourselves with was, that we did not lose ground, nor, as yesterday, drift to the westward. About noon a light breeze again sprung up from the S. E., and we now advanced slowly to the N., so as to see the Black Pagoda Ixiv JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE TO INDIA. more clearly, and even to distinguish the coco-palms on the coast. Several vessels were under the shore, one brig, some sloops, and a kind of galliot of singular rig, beside some boats with large square sails. The day was very pleasant and cool, and the night which followed beautiful. Our breeze was good, and our progress would have been excellent, but for the unfortunate current. As it was, after another anxious night of unceasing sounding and exertion to Captain Manning and his officers, we were only advanced, at six in the morning of the 30th, about forty miles, or not quite to the parallel of False Cape; yet even this was considerable gain, and would have made us very happy, had not a dismal accident overclouded all such feelings. About ten o'clock, as I was writing these lines in the cuddy, a cry was heard, "Davy is overboard:" at first I thought they said "the baby," and ran to the mizen chains in a sort of confused agony, tugging at my coat-buttons and my sleeves as I went, with the intention of leaping in after her; when there, however, I found that one of the poor boys apprenticed to Captain Manning by the Marine Society, had fallen from the mizen-gaff, and that one of the midshipmen, Gower not Davy, as at first supposed, was knocked over by him in his fall; the boy only rose for a few moments and sunk for ever, but the midshipman was picked up when almost exhausted. It was pleasing to see the deep interest and manly sorrow excited by this sad accident in all on board. For my own part, I was so much stunned by the shock of my first mistake, that I JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE TO INDIA. lxv felt, and still feel a sort of sick and indistinct horror, which has prevented me from being so deeply affected as I otherwise must have been by the melancholy end of the poor lad thus suddenly called away. The coast was so low, that we could not discover any tokens of it, and were compelled to feel our way by soundings every half hour, keeping in from sixteen to twenty-nine fathom. All this part of Orixa, as I am assured by Major Sackville, who has himself surveyed the coast, is very ill laid down in most charts. It is a large delta, formed by the mouths of the Maha-Nuddee and other rivers, the northernmost of which insulates Cape Palmiras, and the remainder flow into what is called Cojam Bay, which is dry at low water; so that the real line of coast is nearly straight from Juggernaut to Palmiras. The night was fine and starlight, and we crept along, sounding every half-hour in from seventeen to twenty-three fathoms till after midnight, when we entered suddenly into a rapid stream of smooth water, which carried us considerably to the east. I happened to go on deck during this watch, and was much pleased and interested with the sight. It was exactly like a river, about half a mile broad, smooth, dimply, and whirling, bordered on each side by a harsh, dark, rippling sea, such as we had hitherto contended with, and which obviously still ran in a contrary direction. It was, I have no doubt, from Major Sackville's sketch, the fresh water of the Maha-Nuddee, which being lighter, |