watchful inspector, who attends them in the same manner as the governess does the girls. They are all visited every day by the go-. vernor, and a clergyman attends them every evening. By this humane institution a number of people are rendered useful and industrious, in a country where the poor, from the indulgence of the climate, are too apt to prefer a life of inactivity, though attended with wretchedness, to obtaining the comforts of life by industry and labour. Having finished our business, we sailed on the 10th, with the wind at S. E. our ship's company all in good health and spirits.

I now divided the people into three watches, and gave the charge of the third watch to Mr. Fletcher Christian, one of the mates. I have always considered this a desirable regulation, when circumstances will admit of it, and I am persuaded, that unbroken rest not only contributes much to the health of a ship's company, but enables them more readily to exert themselves in cases of sudden emergency.

As I wished to proceed to Otaheite without stopping, I reduced the allowance of bread to two-thirds, and caused the water for drinking to be filtered through drip-stones bought at Teneriffe for that purpose. I now acquainted the ship's company with the object

of the voyage, and gave assurances of certain promotion to every one whose endeavours should merit it.

Monday the 14th. Had very heavy rain; during which we nearly filled all our empty water casks. So much wet weather, with the closeness of the air, covered every thing with mildew. The ship was aired below with fires, and frequently sprinkled with vinegar; and every little interval of dry weather was taken advantage of to open all the hatchways, and clean the ship, and to have all the people's wet things washed and dried.

On Tuesday the 26th of February, being in south latitude 29° 38', and 40° 44′ west longitude, we bent new sails, and made other necessary preparations for encountering the weather that was to be expected in a high latitude. Our distance from the coast of Brazil was about 100 leagues.

On the forenoon of Sunday the 2nd of March, after seeing that every person was clean, divine service was performed, according to my usual custom on this day. I gave to Mr. Fletcher Christian, whom I had before directed to take charge of the third watch, a written order to act as Lieutenant.

The change of temperature soon began to be sensibly felt; and, that the people might not suffer from their own negligence, I sup

plied them with thicker clothing, as better suited to the climate. A great number of whales of an immense size, with two spout holes on the back of the head, were seen on the 11th.

On a complaint made to me by the mas ter, I found it necessary to punish Matthew Quintal, one of the seamen, with two dozen lashes, for insolence and mutinous behaviour, which was the first time that there was any occasion for punishment on board.

We were off Cape St. Diego, the eastern part of Terra del Fuego, and the wind be ing unfavourable, I thought it more advisable to go round the eastward of Staten-land, than to attempt passing through Straits le Maire. We passed New Year's Harbour and Cape St. John, and on Monday 31st, were in latitude 60° 1' south. But the wind became variable, and we had bad weather.

Storms, attended with a great sea, prevailed until the 12th of April. The ship began to leak, and required pumping every hour, which was no more than we had reason to expect from such a continuance of gales of wind and high seas. The decks also became so leaky, that it was necessary to allot the great cabin, of which I made little use except in fine weather, to those people who had not births to hang their hammocks in,

and, by this means, the space between decks was less crowded.

With all this bad weather, we had the additional mortification to find, at the end of every day, that we were losing ground; for, notwithstanding our utmost exertions, and keeping on the most advantageous tacks, we did little better than drift before the wind.

As we caught a good many birds, but which were all lean, and tasted fishy, we tried an experiment upon them, which succeeded admirably. By keeping them cooped up, and cramming them with ground corn, they improved wonderfully in a short time; so that the pintada birds became as fine as ducks, and the albatrosses were as fat, and not inferior in taste to fine geese. Some of the latter birds were caught that measured seven feet between the extremities of the wings, when spread. This unexpected supply came very opportunely; for none of our live stock remained except hogs, the sheep and poultry not being hardy enough to stand the severity of the weather.

This morning, the wind died away, and we had a calm for a few hours, which gave us hopes that the next would be a more favourable wind. A hog was killed for the ship's company, which gave them an excellent meal. Towards noon, to our great dis

appointment, the wind sprung up again from the westward, and in the afternoon blew strong, with snow and hail storms.

On Tuesday the 22d of April, we had eight down on the sick list, and the rest of the people, though in good health, were greatly fatigued; but I saw, with much concern, that it was impossible to make a passage this way to the Society Islands, for we had now been thirty days in a tempestuous ocean. Thus the season was too far advanced for us to expect better weather to enable us to double Cape Horn; and from these, and other considerations, I ordered the helm to be put aweather, and bore away for the Cape of Good Hope, to the great joy of every one ont board..

The passage round Cape Horn, into the South Seas, during the summer months, has seldom been attended with difficulty, and is to be preferred, in the moderate seasons, to the more distant route to the eastward, round the Cape of Good Hope and New Holland. If we had been one month earlier, or perhaps less, I doubt not but we should have effected our passage.

We came to an anchor on Friday the 23d May, in Simon's Bay at the Cape, after a tolerable run. The ship required complete caulking, for she had become so leaky, that