On the 12th of March I embarked in the Betsy, captain Hart, for London; my
live stock consisted of some fowls, four brace of partridges, a flying
squirrel, and a young racoon. We sailed about midnight, with a good breeze
at S.W., and were in a few hours clear of the land.
On the evening of the 13th, we met with a hard gale at N. E. by N.--The
degree of cold was intolerable. We shipped some heavy seas, and our
rigging being intirely incrusted with ice, our captain was resolved to
stand to the south, in search of better weather. The next morning being on
the edge of the gulf stream, we were witness to a strange struggle between
the warmth of the current, and the coldness of the surrounding ocean and
atmosphere: the stream actually smoaked like a caldron! We ran as far to
the south as latitude 38, when the wind shifting to the S. W., in a few
hours we found a wonderful change of climate: the degree of heat was, at
least, equal to that of a usual summer day in England, without the
disagreeable pressure experienced from a thick atmosphere. The air was
perfectly clear, elastic, and animating, nothing could be more charming;
but this was of short continuance; the next morning the wind shifted to
the N. E., and blew a _gale_, which lasted eighteen hours. We had
then a calm, which was succeeded by westerly winds,
On the 27th, we had run down half our longitude, four degrees of which we
sailed in the last twenty four hours.
On the 29th, we met with another very severe gale at E.N.E., which soon
obliged us to strike our top-gallant-yards, and lie too, under our mizen
and mizen stay sail. During the confusion of the night, my racoon got
loose, and found means to kill all my partridges! and, as misfortunes
seldom come alone; a large spanish cat we had on board, caught my flying
squirrel. The loss of my partridges was the more provoking, as they were
in perfect health, and I had no doubt of landing them safe: so ends my
project of propagating the breed of these birds in England.
In a former letter, wherein I gave you my motives for making this attempt,
I mentioned their extreme hardiness; of this I had now additional proofs:
these birds were in a coop on the deck, and I expected every sea we
shipped over our quarter during the first gale, they certainly would be
drowned; but was agreeably surprised, when the gale was over, to find them
very little the worse for their severe ducking.
_April 14th._--For the last eight days we have been beating against
an easterly wind, a few leagues to the westward of the chops of the
channel, subject to continual alarms from french cruisers, of all
situations the most disagreeable. This evening we had soundings at 80
fathom, and a favourable change of the wind to the westward.
On the 15th we saw an american-built ship standing athwart us, by her
course and appearance evidently a french prize, bound to Brest. She had
her anchors over her bows, and most likely had been but a few days from
some port in St. George's Channel. About five hours after we were boarded
by the Spitfire, british sloop of war; we informed the lieutenant of the
exact course of the prize, and he immediately gave chace.
The next day we made the Bill of Portland. Our passage up the channel was
very pleasant, till within six leagues of Dover, when we once more
encountered a violent easterly gale, which, for the fifth time, reduced us
to our courses. Night coming on, and not being able to procure a pilot, we
were a little uneasy. The gale abating the next day, a pilot came on
board. He had the conscience to demand three guineas to put me on shore!
but took one third of the sum, which I think he deserved, as we were six
hours making this harbour. I found the custom house officers, and their
myrmidon porters, exactly as Smollet has described them; two of these
_gentlemen_ had the impudence to charge me half a guinea for bringing
my trunk seventy yards.--So ends my tour. I am once more landed in Old
England, after an absence of three years and nine months, with a plentiful
lack of money and _some_ experience!--
Farewell.
Yours, &c.