the E.S.E. We should have been very glad to touch at these
islands to take in water; but as our vessel was an American bottom, and
had on board a number of British subjects, our captain did not think fit
to expose himself to meet the English ships-of-war cruising on these
coasts, who certainly would not have failed to make a strict search, and
to take from us the best part of our crew; which would infallibly have
proved disastrous to the object for which we had shipped them.

Speaking of water, I may mention that the rule was to serve it out in
rations of a quart a day; but that we were now reduced to a pint and a
half. For the rest, our fare consisted of fourteen ounces of hard bread,
a pound and a quarter of salt beef or one of pork, per day, and half a
pint of souchong tea, with sugar, per man. The pork and beef were served
alternately: rice and beans, each once a week; corn-meal pudding with
molasses, ditto; on Sundays the steerage passengers were allowed a
bottle of Teneriffe wine. All except the four partners, Mr. Lewis,
acting as captain's clerk, and Mr. T. M'Kay, were in the steerage; the
cabin containing but six berths, besides the captain's and first-mate's
state-rooms.

As long as we were near the coast of Africa, we had light and variable
winds, and extremely hot weather; on the 8th, we had a dead calm, and
saw several sharks round the vessel; we took one which we ate. I found
the taste to resemble sturgeon. We experienced on that day an excessive
heat, the mercury being at 94 deg. of Fahrenheit. From the 8th to the 11th
we had on board a canary bird, which we treated with the greatest care
and kindness, but which nevertheless quitted us, probably for a certain
death.

The nearer we approached to the equator the more we perceived the heat
to increase: on the 16th, in latitude 6 deg., longitude 22 deg. west from
Greenwich, the mercury stood at 108 deg.. We discovered on that day a sail
bearing down upon us. The next morning she reappeared, and approached
within gun-shot. She was a large brig, carrying about twenty guns: we
sailed in company all day by a good breeze, all sail spread; but toward
evening she dropped astern and altered her course to the S.S.E.

On the 18th, at daybreak, the watch alarmed us by announcing that the
same brig which had followed us the day before, was under our lee, a
cable's length off, and seemed desirous of knowing who we were, without
showing her own colors. Our captain appea