χχίν JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE TO INDIA. by most of our young writers and cadets,) had it not the terrible drawback of a vile stench from the wretched imprisoned fowls, whose hen-coops cover it. These miserable birds suffer dreadfully for the gratification of our luxury. Though less crowded on board the Grenville than in most vessels of the kind, they are even here packed like bottles in a rack, with hardly room to stir. July 2.-During the night we made a somewhat better progress than we had done for a good while. The breeze continued to freshen from the N.E. and the day was pleasant. A vessel bound for London, three days from Funchal, passed us at dinner-time. We regretted bitterly that we had sent our packets by the Christiana, and that we had, (now that so much better an opportunity occurred,) nothing ready to despatch; but it was not to be helped. Captain Manning hailed the vessel, and asked her Master to report at Lloyd's that he had spoken the Thomas Grenville in such a latitude, "all well," so that this, at least, our friends will have the satisfaction of seeing in the newspapers ere many days are over. My wife's eyes swam with tears as this vessel passed us, and there were one or two of the young men who looked wishfully after her. For my own part I am but too well convinced that all my firmness would go if I allowed myself to look back even for a moment. Yet, as I did not leave home and its blessings without counting the cost, I do not, and I trust in God that I shall not, regret the choice I have made. But knowing how much JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE TO INDIA. XXV others have given up for my sake, should make me both more studious to make the loss less to them, and also, and above all, so to discharge my duty, that they may never think that these sacrifices have been made in vain. July 3.-We made an excellent progress during the night. At about five in the evening we saw Madeira on our larboard bow. The horizon was unfortunately hazy, and the night shut in with clouds, otherwise we should, about an hour after, have had a fine view of the land at about twenty miles distance on the beam. As it was we could barely distinguish its outline through the mist; but the very sight of land, and the sense of progress which it communicated were very exhilarating, and kept us all on deck till it was quite dark. During this evening the gale and the sea had continued to increase; some of the cabins on the gun-deck had shipped water; Mr. Burnet predicted uncomfortable weather; and the Captain, though he did not shorten sail, gave orders to have all the lower ports secured. We went to bed, therefore, not unprepared for a little tossing, though certainly not for all that followed. The wind was high during the night, and the swell more than commensurate, and our furniture, though we had secured it with unusual care, seemed alive. The moon, during the latter part of the night, was clear, and the view of the following surge from the cabin windows, was very majestic; but to enjoy it, it was necessary to hold hard with both hands. xxvi JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE TO INDIA. July 4.-The gale and tossing continued all the forenoon; complaints of sleeplessness, broken heads and shins, were universal; and we were only comforted by the assurance that we had seen, probably, the worst of the ship's rolling, and that, even off the Cape of Good Hope, nothing more than this was reasonably to be apprehended. Our progress too was very cheering. Our run during the last twenty-four hours was computed at 200 miles, and our latitude at twelve was 31° 10'. July 5.-Nothing very material occurred this day, excepting that some flying-fish began to be seen round us, but of so small a sort, that, though they were numerous, it was a long time before I could distinguish them from the spray among which they fluttered. July 6.-We had Divine Service, and I read a sermon on the Epistle for the day'. I did not feel quite sure whether the subject were too difficult for the major part of my audience or no. But I thought its discussion might, at all events, be serviceable to the educated part of my hearers, and I did not despair of making myself understood by the crew. I am inclined to hope that I succeeded with many of them. All were very attentive, and the petty officers, more particularly, heard me with great apparent interest. I am, on the whole, more and more confirmed in the opinion which Horsley has expressed in one of his Sermons, that a theo 1 Sixth Sunday after Trinity. JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE TO INDIA. xxvii logical argument, clearly stated, and stated in terms derived from the ancient English language exclusively, will generally be both intelligible and interesting to the lower classes. They do not want acuteness or the power of attending; it is their vocabulary only which is confined, and if we address them in such words as they understand, we may tell them what truths we please, and reason with them as subtilely as we can. The flying-fish to day were more numerous and lively. They rose in whole flights to the right and left of the bow, flying off in different directions, as if the vast body of the ship alarmed and disturbed them. Others, however, at a greater distance, kept rising and falling without any visible cause, and, apparently, in the gladness of their hearts, and in order to enjoy the sunshine and the temporary change of element. Certainly there was no appearance or probability of any larger fish being in pursuit of even one hundredth part of those which we saw, nor were there any birds to endanger their flight; and those writers who describe the life of these animals as a constant succession of alarms, and rendered miserable by fear, have never, I conceive, seen them in their mirth, or considered those natural feelings of health and hilarity which seem to lead all creatures to exert, in mere lightness of heart, whatever bodily powers the Creator has given them. It would be just as reasonable to say that a lamb leaps in a meadow for fear of being bitten by serpents, or that a horse gallops round xxviii JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE TO INDIA. his pasture only because a wolf is at his heels, as to infer from the flight of these animals that they are always pursued by the bonito. July 8.-The sun was now fairly to the north of us, and our trade-wind, though light, was steady. One of the sailors, a lad about seventeen, was accused of having, in wanton cruelty, stabbed and cut a sheep so severely that it bled to death. He had been cleaning knives near the sheep-pen, and the animal was found in this condition shortly after. He protested his innocence, and said the sheep had thrown down a board on which the knives were laid. This story was a lame one; but, with a very praise-worthy moderation, Captain Manning merely ordered him for the present into confinement, till the business could be more accurately inquired into. It is, he says, his general rule, and the rule of most captains in the Company's service, never to punish without a regular trial, or without some pause intervening between the accusation and the enquiry. July 9.-The boy's trial came on, but he was discharged for want of sufficient evidence, with a suitable admonition. The day was fine. We were on deck the greater part of the morning, having transferred our Hindoostanee lecture thither. Our course continues south-west; our latitude 20°. 57′. longitude 24°. 32'. The favourable breeze almost became a gale towards night; but we had less rolling than on former occasions. |