ng and every article of comfort extravagantly high.

A few days before we sailed, the ship _Ganges_, commanded by Mr.
Patrickson, arrived with convicts from Cork. She sailed from Ireland with
another ship, the _Britannia_, having on board a similar cargo; but the
master, intending to touch at Rio de Janeiro, had parted company with the
_Ganges_ off Palma. We learned by the _Ganges_, that two storeships, the
_Sylph_ and _Prince of Wales_, had sailed in June last for New South
Wales. Much as Governor Hunter wanted labourers, the provisions would be
more welcome to him than the Irish convicts, who had hitherto always
created more trouble than any other.

Before we sailed we had the satisfaction of seeing seventy head of very
fine young Cape cattle purchased by Mr. Palmer, the commissary for the
colony, to be sent thither in the _Reliance_ and _Supply_; the latter of
which ships sailed with her proportion a few days before we left Table
Bay. These ships would return well stored with useful articles for the
settlement, and comforts for every officer in it.

We left the Cape on the 16th of March, and arrived at the pleasant island
of St Helena on the 26th of the same month. Here we remained till the
17th of April, having waited some time for a convoy, and sailed at last
without any, in company with the ship _Brothers_, a South-Sea whaler, who
was returning loaded.

During our stay at St Helena we made several excursions into the interior
part of the island. A visit from the French was daily expected; but we
saw with pleasure preparations made for their reception that caused every
one to treat the probability of their coming as an event more to be
wished for than dreaded. From the hospitality of Governor Brooke and his
family, and the pleasant society of this place, we felt a regret at
leaving the island, which nothing but the prospect of soon reaching our
own happy shores alleviated.

Every one now was anxious for the successful termination of the passage
before us. On the 27th of April we crossed the equator in the longitude
of 19 degrees 02 minutes W. On the 4th of May we spoke the ship
_Elizabeth_, (an American,) Isaac Stone master. They had only been
twenty-eight days from Dover, and gave us the first intelligence we
received of the victory obtained by our fleet under Earl St. Vincent over
that of the Spaniards.

On the 7th of June we spoke a schooner under American colours, the
_Federal George_ of Duxbury from Bour