delight in hyperbolical description would call, mountains high. In fact, we were so deeply immersed sometimes, and the waves were rolling so high around us, that we could not see the topgallant royals of a frigate that happened to be within a few hundred yards of us, so that at any rate we must have had a very pretty specimen of a storm of the first magnitude.

We are now on the banks of Newfoundland, the region of codfish; and I am called on deck. The ship is hove to for the purpose of fishing: fresh cod for dinner would not be a little acceptable; besides, I understand there is a good deal of amusement in cod-fishing; you shall know what success we have: en attendant, Adieu!

"Off Cape Breton, May 1806. LAND-A-HEAD! land! land! repeated half a dozen voices. Joyful tidings! I had just fixed myself in a position to secure me against the rolling of the ship, a very necessary precaution at sea; I had a sheet of paper before me, for the purpose of saying something to you about the banks of Newfoundland and cod-fishing, when my ears were agreeably assailed with the joyful sound of land-a-head! I am very fond of music; yet I can safely say, that the fine tones of a Catalani, which I have often heard with pleasure, or the modulation of a Braham, which is exquisite, are sounds vastly inferior in their power of pleasing to the shout of land-a-head, after having been tossed and buffeted across the Atlantie ocean.

Here we are, on the 20th May, in sight of Cape Breton. As we left Portsmouth on the 14th of April, our being now in sight of the new world is pretty fair. Five weeks at sea, however, is quite enough to give a high relish for a sight of land of any sort; and you can hardly suppose a greater contrast than the land we have left--the green fields of England --and the barren mountains of Cape Breton: yet we have great pleasure in looking at it. We have still a long voyage to perform. We have to cross the gulph of St. Lawrence, and go up the river, which may probably occupy a fortnight.

For some days past the great increase of cold which we felt made us conjecture that we approached either snow-clad

mountains, or islands of ice which are known to float in these latitudes at this season of the year. Those floating islands are of great height, some have been ascertained to rise upwards of 200 feet from the surface of the sea; the breadth and depth in the water must, of course, have been immense. From the comparative specific gravity of ice and water, the body of ice under water must have been rather more than 9-10ths of what appeared above water. These islands are supposed to be formed on the coast of New Britain, and on the Labrador shore, during the severe winters which reign in those regions for about nine months in the year. The sea, in a gale of wind, dashed against a rock, will be thrown up to a great height, and be arrested, in part, by the severe frost; frequent accumulation will render the mass of great magnitude. When the summer heat begins to melt the snow, and act upon the land, these immense masses of ice are loosened from the shore, and floated off by the north-west winds. They are supposed to continue and float in the Northern ocean for more than one year; and they, in part, owe their immense height to the snow and rain which fall upon them and freeze. When, in the course of time, they are floated into the more southern latitudes, the warm air, which comes in contact with them, is condensed, and parts with the moisture it held in solution, which appears in the form of mist, and with which these immense masses of ice are constantly surrounded and fed; for during the night the vapour is frozen, and adds to the height of the whole mass.

A vessel to leeward of one of these floating islands is surprized, sometimes before it is seen, with a sudden and unlooked for degree of cold; and I am assured that it is extremely dangerous to approach them. There are many instances of Quebec vessels, and others, navigating those seas, having been wrecked on these islands of ice. The Lady Hobart, a Halifax packet, struck on one a few years ago, and was totally lost. The passengers and crew took to the boat, and, after being fourteen days at sea, were fortunate enough to reach the island of Newfoundland, but, as you may well suppose, in a most exhausted

state.

'In crossing the banks of Newfoundland we had very unpleasant, hazy, and wet weather, which, I am told, is generally found on them. It is accounted for in this way:

An immense body of water, called by seamen The Gulf Stream, flows from the gulf of Mexico, and proceeds along the coast of America, at a considerable distance from the shore. Its breadth is generally supposed to be about 15 to 20 leagues. It runs at the rate of about four miles an hour, and it has been ascertained by the thermometer that it is considerably warmer than the ocean on each side of it. This heat is communicated to the air in contact with it, which therefore holds in solution an increased quantity of water. When it gets so far to the north as the banks of Newfoundland, it meets with a cold atmosphere, which cools and condenses the warm air, and renders it incapable of retaining all the water it previously had dissolved; and a deposition of it, in the form of mist, fog, and rain, takes place in consequence. These increase to such an extent as to obscure the sun for days, and sometimes weeks, to the great annoyance of the seaman, who is thereby prevented from taking an observation to ascertain his latitude.

'I was called on deck one day to look at a banker ; I immediately thought of Lombard-street: yet it seemed strange that those who have so many thousand reasons for staying at home, should find any to induce them to be on board ship, alongside of us, on the banks of Newfoundland. I found, however, that the banker is a small vessel stationed on the banks for the sole purpose of fishing. There are immense numbers of them. They come from Newfoundland, and also from the United States.

'When one reflects on the great extent of the banks of Newfoundland, being nearly 400 miles in length, by about 200 miles in breadth, besides the smaller banks and fishing grounds on the coast of Cape Breton, and round the shores and islands of the gulf of St. Lawrence, there seems room enough for all the cod-fish catchers in the world; and it may seem hard that any of them should be excluded. But as Great Britain has both the right and the power to monopolize this trade, I cannot see any impropriety in her doing so. The allowing the

Americans a share in this trade was an act of pure generosity on the part of Britain. However, a nation ought to be just to its own subjects before it is generous to those of another country.

For some days past we have seen a greater number of enormous whales rolling their huge carcases in the deep. It is curious enough to observe them when several appear near the vessel at the same time. They come to the surface to breathe, or blow, as it is generally called (and with great propriety, for the noise is equal to that of 50 bellows of the largest size), and the water is spouted to an immense height, like the steam of a fire engine.

Amongst the extraordinary things one meets with at sea, it is not one of the least surprizing to observe small land-birds several hundred miles from land. I was sitting on the deck the other day, when, to my great surprize, my attention was arrested by the warbling of a bird. I looked up, and saw a linnet perched on the rigging, and whistling with as much ardour as if on a bush in a green meadow. It is probable they are driven to sea in a gale of wind, or, perhaps a fog may conceal the land from them, and by taking a wrong direction, they may proceed to sea; still it is a matter not a little surprizing that they should be able to continue on the wing so long as is necessary to fly several hundreds of miles, particucularly when the usual shortness of their flight is considered. They continue sometimes with a vessel for several days, and are frequently caught by the sailors; but it is remarked that they seldom live, though every care is taken to give them proper food. When the vessel rolls much, they find it difficult to retain their footing on the rigging, and you see them forced, as it were, to resume their flight in search of a better restingplace: poor little creatures! they look for it in vain. You at length see them drop into the sea. It is surprising what hold

such little incidents take of our sensibilities.

'WE are now in entered a few days ago. VOL. II.--(25)

'Gulf of St. Lawrence, May 1806. the gulf of St. Lawrence, which we The entrance through which we

N

passed is the principal one; it is 60 miles broad, and is formed by cape North, in the island of Cape Breton, on the south side, and by cape Raiy, in Newfoundland, on the north side. There is another communication with the ocean, through the straits of Belleisle, between Newfoundland and the Labrador shore, but it is seldom used, except by running vessels from Quebec, that are going to Scotland, or the north of England. The third communication with the ocean is by the Gut of Canso, through which, vessels coming from the West Indies, or the United States of America, generally enter the gulf. This passage, which is very narrow, separates Cape Breton from New Brunswick.

We acquired possession of Cape Breton in 1763, and erected it into a separate government in 1784. There is in this island, which is about 100 miles in length by 60 in breadth, much arable land, which at present abounds with hard-wood and pine timber. This country is of great value to Britain, for several reasons. As it commands the gulf of St. Lawrence, it may be considered as the key of Canada. There are in its neighbourhood very valuable fisheries, which cannot well be carried on without a harbour in the island, and the harbour of Louisburgh is the principal one for that purpose.

Great advantages are likely to accrue from the valuable coal-mines in Cape Breton. There is also abundance of iron. The working of the coal-mines, together with the fisheries, form the chief employment of the inhabitants. Communication with the interior of the island is rendered casy by means of a number of lakes and inlets from the sea, found in every direction.

To the southward of our course lies Prince Edward's island, near the coasts of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. It is a fine island; the soil is rich, and fit for every sort of grain. It abounds with timber of a variety of kinds, fit for the ship-builder, carpenter, and cabinet-maker.

We are now in sight of the island of Anticosti, which lies at the mouth of the river St. Lawrence; it is about 130 miles in length, and about 30 miles in breadth. This extensive tract of country is not inhabited: the length and severity of