apt to be
attended with grave results. I did not, however, wish to miss the
opportunity of visiting China, knowing how rarely it occurred, nor
was I desirous of losing the two hundred dollars (40 pounds) already
paid for my passage, and I therefore went on board, trusting in my
good luck, which had never forsaken me on my travels.

During the first few days, I endeavoured to master my illness by
observing a strict diet, and abstaining from almost everything, but
to no purpose. I still continued to suffer, until I luckily thought
of using salt-water baths. I took them in a large tub, in which I
remained a quarter of an hour. After the second bath, I felt much
better, and after the sixth, I was completely recovered. I merely
mention this malady, to which I was very subject in warm climates,
that I may have the opportunity of remarking, that sea-baths or
cooling drinks, such as buttermilk, sour milk, sherbet, orangeade,
etc., are very efficacious remedies.

The ship in which I made my present voyage, was the Dutch barque
Lootpuit, a fine, strong vessel, quite remarkable for its
cleanliness. The table was pretty good, too, with the exception of
a few Dutch dishes, and a superfluity of onions. To these, which
played a prominent part in everything that was served up, I really
could not accustom myself, and felt greatly delighted that a large
quantity of this noble production of the vegetable kingdom became
spoilt during the voyage.

The captain was a polite and kind man, and the mates and sailors
were also civil and obliging. In fact, as a general rule, in every
ship that I embarked in, I was far from finding seamen so rough and
uncivil as travellers often represent them to be. Their manners are
certainly not the most polished in the world, neither are they
extraordinarily attentive or delicate, but their hearts and
dispositions are mostly good.

After three days' sailing, we saw, on the 21st March, the island of
St. Felix, and on the morning following, St. Ambrosio. They both
consist of naked, inhospitable masses of rock, and serve at most as
resting places for a few gulls.

We were now within the tropics, but found the heat greatly moderated
by the trade wind, and only unbearable in the cabin.

For nearly a month did we now sail on, without the slightest
interruption, free from storms, with the same monotonous prospect of
sky and water before us, until, on the 19th of April, we reached the
Archipelago of