Travels in the United States of America Commencing in the Year 1793, and Ending in 1797 | Page 3

windward with a fresh breeze off the Lizard;
finding it impossible to clear the land, put about, and by three in the
afternoon were safe moored in Falmouth harbour. Went on shore; the
lower order of the inhabitants chaunt, or rather speak in recitative, a
strange dialect, in which I could distinguish several English words.
Took a walk to Pendennis castle, which protects the West entrance of
the harbour; found it garrisoned by a party of invalides, who informed
me they had not two nights in bed to one up; hard duty after twenty
years servitude!
_Aug. 9th_.--Dined on john dory, which I cannot think equal either to
turbot or sole. Falmouth has the best fish market in England: I am
informed, in the course of the year, they have upward of fifty different
species for sale, on very moderate terms.
_Aug. 15th._--Weighed anchor, and having a good breeze at N.E., we
were soon clear of the land. On the evening of the 16th came on a smart
breeze at S.W.; at 2 A.M. the wind changed to W.N.W. and _blew a
hard gale_, which split our jib, and at last obliged us to lie too, under
our courses: shipped some very heavy seas over our quarter, which
drowned three parts of our stock of geese and other poultry; the

baggage of near fifty passengers, for want of being properly lashed,
was dashing about the steerage; which, with the shrieks of the women,
heaving of the vessel, rattling of the wind, and all the et cetera of a
storm, was dreadful indeed.
_Aug. 18th_.--Wind N.W. moderate; the morning delightful; appeared
doubly so, contrasted with the horrours of the night.
_Aug. 31st_.--Fresh breeze at S.W. increasing to a hard gale, reduced
us once more to our courses: at 8 P.M. calm, with a very heavy swell.
_Sunday 1st September._
Pleasant breeze at N.N.E. The following hymn was written by Mr.
Harwood, for this morning's service.
HYMN.
I.
Father of Heav'n, to thee we raise (Mark'd by thy kind peculiar care,)
Our songs of thankfulness and praise, To thee ascends the grateful
pray'r.
II.
Thou didst direct the gentlest breath, That o'er the sleeping waters stole;
Thine is the dreadful voice of death, In which thy angry thunders roll.
III.
Father of all, 'tis thine to give, Not what our erring pray'r demands;
With joy thy blessings we receive, And bow submissive 'neath thy
hand.
_Sept. 7th_.--First appearance of the gulf-weed. The trade wind,
between the Equator and the extent of the northern Tropic, setting from
the eastward, forces the water against the islands, and at length into the
gulf of Mexico where it meets with an uniform opposition from the
main, causing a strong current to the N.E., or points somewhat in that
direction. This stream is so violent as to tear up the sea weeds in the
gulf, and bear them as far to the north as latitude 44: the stream is soon
after absorbed in the Western ocean; but causes certain counter currents,
which, for want of being properly allowed for by mariners, have been
the causes of many shipwrecks.
_Sept. 8th_.--Fine morning; wind at W.S.W. A beautiful dolphin struck
at an artificial flying fish, hanging at our bow-sprit; the hook breaking,
he escaped;--continued playing round our bows for some time, and
struck at several flying fish; but we could not again tempt him with the

artificial bait.
Mem. To read this lesson once a month.
_Sept. 9th_.--Calm and fog, several flocks of wild fowl. Suppose
ourselves near the banks of Newfoundland. Thermometer sunk 18
degrees since yesterday.
_Sept. 10th_.--Pleasant morning, having run to the S.W. during the
night: no sign of the banks. A land bird, of the thrush kind, came and
settled on our main yard; seemed quite exhausted; fell upon the deck,
and was taken up by the cabin boy. The poor creature must have been
driven off the coast of America in a violent gale at N.W., the distance
from any land being upwards of a thousand miles; no other
circumstance could account for it's flying so far.
_Sept. 19th_.--Wind at N.N.W. very moderate;--the afternoon calm.
The sun set this evening with uncommon beauty, that glorious luminary
was surrounded with clouds of a vivid yellow, green, and red; strongly
shaded with black half the extent of the horizon. The moon at the same
time rising to the east-ward, with a cool and faint sky, formed a strong
and beautiful contrast.
_Sept. 21st_.--Wind S. with rain. Caught four dolphins, which afforded
us a most delicious repast: in the paunch of one was found a dodon, or
globe-fish; the sailors call it a parrot-fish, from its having a beak
exactly resembling that bird.--At 9 A.M. spoke with the Queen
Charlotte of London, bound to Bristol, out ten days from