with are pretty much of the same stamp, and have been depicted, times out of number, by the thousand and one voyagers to the East, who have given us amusing portraits of the old officer returning to join his regiment after a leave of absence; and of the young cadet, fresh from the military college of Addiscombe, with his head full of the Wellington despatches, and of Bengal tigers. According to the good old custom, I kept an accurate diary, and was as punctual in noting down every little event, as our first mate was in recording in his log-book the progress of the ship, or the state of the weather every twenty-four hours. In turning over the leaves of this diary, I find but little worth extracting. It is but a record of sunshine and storms, and of many sad reflections upon taking leave of all that was near or dear to me on earth. The journal of my first week on board ship presents a dreary catalogue of troubles, occasioned by the loss of masts and sails in a gale of wind coming down channel-by the sea pouring in through the seams of the deck, and deluging my bed and cabinand by other discomforts peculiar to new ships that have been fitted out in a hurry, and with but little regard to the comfort or convenience of those destined to live so many months on board of them. But these treats were of short duration; and a few fine days set us all to rights again. The carpenter, a clever and active man, was not long in completing the new spars to supply the place of those carried away, and our cabins were effectually secured against any further

intrusions of the sea. Our crew consisted of a mixture of English, Irish, and Scotch sailors; and we had not been long on board, before the captain discovered that there were two or three bad characters amongst them. One morning, as we were sitting at breakfast, he was summoned on deck, and informed by these men who had been selected as spokesmen by the rest, that it was their determination to work only in their watch; that he was quite at liberty to confine them below deck if he thought proper, but work at any other time they would not. Having delivered this piece of information, the mutineers returned to the forecastle, and the captain very coolly sate down again and finished his cup of coffee with us in the cabin. So soon as the cloth was drawn, the mate was ordered to get the irons out-to load with ball three pistols-and to see that cutlasses were placed conveniently in every state-room in case they should be wanted in a hurry. Having finished these warlike preparations, we waited the issue of the afternoon's watch, to see if the crew would turn out as usual to their duty. Two bells were at last struck, and much to our surprise every hand appeared on deck. The malcontents saw that they had a determined character to deal with in the person of Captain W., and had thought it better to attend to his orders at once. As a punishment, he gave them all an extra hour's work; and the two ringleaders were set to holy-stone the decks until they begged his pardon. One condescended to do this the following morning,

but the other rebel laboured at this hard and distasteful work for eight day's, before his spirit was sufficiently broken to induce him to ask forgiveness for past offences. Thus was harmony and good order once more restored on board our vessel, and I am happy to say it was not interrupted again during the voyage. As we had a good library on board my time was profitably passed in reading and in noting down every event that had the slightest novelty to recommend it to notice; for the sea has a thousand charms to those who travel for instruction, or with a laudable desire to increase their acquaintance with the world which they inhabit; and though a long voyage may eventually tire the most sanguine inquirer in the pursuit of knowledge, yet a large and marvellous page of nature is open to him whose business is in the great waters. Of such a man it may truly be said, that he shall "see the wonders of the Lord." The change of temperature which begins to be very perceptible as you draw near the lovely group of the Madeiras when you first put on the cool white dress and enjoy your walk upon the high poop, is a pleasing relief after the fogs, rains, and chilly nights, which have depressed your spirits, and made you dissatisfied with everything. The young voyager is now delighted with the different colours of the sea. When viewed in hazy weather, a yellow tinge is spread over it; but, as he enters the torrid zone, a dark brown is the prevailing colour. But these hues are continually changing, for the bottom of the ocean has

a wonderful influence over them; and the reflection of the sun, when the sky is clear and serene, decks the mighty expanse in the most refreshing green. When he reflects that this immense body of water which surrounds him occupies a space on the surface of our globe greater than that which is called dry land, and covers an extent of 148,000,000 of square miles, he is lost in the contemplation of so sublime a work. Again, there is his old welcome friend, the calm, pale moon-which always appears to the English eye unusually large when viewed through the clear tropical atmosphere — looking so bright and beautiful, that you scarcely know her again. Everything, in fact, that you see, as the ship steals through the waste of waters towards its destination, has a freshness and novelty about it which delights and enchants those who are interested in the wonderful works of God. To quote the words of the illustrious Humboldt, "one experiences an indescribable sensation when, as we approach the equator, and especially in passing from one hemisphere to the other, we see the stars, with which we have been familiar from infancy, gradually approach the horizon, and finally disappear. Nothing impresses more vividly on the mind of the traveller, the vast distance which separates him from his native country than the sight of a new firmament. The grouping of the large stars, the scattered nebulæ rivalling in lustre the milky-way, together with some spaces remarkable for their extreme darkness, give the southern heavens a peculiar aspect. The sight even

strikes the imagination of those who, although ignorant of astronomy, find pleasure in contemplating the celestial vault, as one admires a fine landscape or a majestic site. Without being a botanist, the traveller knows the torrid zone by the mere sight of its vegetation; and, without the possession of astronomical knowledge, perceives that he is not in Europe, when he sees rising in the horizon the great constellation of the Ship, or the phosphorescent clouds of Magellan. In the equinoctial regions, the earth, the sky, and all their garniture, assume an exotic character."

It was a lovely morning that revealed to me the beauties of Porto Santo, the first land which we had seen since bidding adieu to dear happy old England. The pangs of separation had in a great measure passed away, and I now began to look more soberly upon my present lot-trusting alone to the goodness of Him who could cast it in pleasant places. I went on deck at 6 A. M., and ascertained from our second mate, who had charge of the watch, that we were only eight miles from the shore. I cannot conceive a more lovely picture than this singular island presented as the rising sun illumined the peaks of its lofty mountains, and dispelled the mists that still floated in fleecy clouds over its tranquil vallies. There are several small islands scattered about Porto Santo, and they all appear to be the work of some volcanic eruption. Porto Santo is, I believe, the smallest inhabited island

of the Madeira group. It produces little corn, but its vallies feed numbers of oxen, and wild hogs are found