n the bare planks covered with
overcoats. We were all gradually dozing off when a perfectly tropical
rain fell, and in a moment drowned the whole ship. The rest of the night
was passed upon the stairs, with an immense jumble of men and women.
When anybody came up for any purpose we all fell down; and when anybody
came down we all fell up again. Still, the good-humour in the English
part of the passengers was quite extraordinary. There were excellent
officers aboard, and the first mate lent me his cabin to wash in in the
morning, which I afterwards lent to Egg and Collins. Then we and the
Emerson Tennents (who were aboard) and the captain, the doctor, and the
second officer went off on a jaunt together to Pisa, as the ship was to
lie at Leghorn all day.

The captain was a capital fellow, but I led him, facetiously, such a
life all day, that I got almost everything altered at night. Emerson
Tennent, with the greatest kindness, turned his son out of his state
room (who, indeed, volunteered to go in the most amiable manner), and I
got a good bed there. The store-room down by the hold was opened for Egg
and Collins, and they slept with the moist sugar, the cheese in cut, the
spices, the cruets, the apples and pears--in a perfect chandler's shop;
in company with what the ----'s would call a "hold gent"--who had been
so horribly wet through overnight that his condition frightened the
authorities--a cat, and the steward--who dozed in an arm-chair, and all
night long fell headforemost, once in every five minutes, on Egg, who
slept on the counter or dresser. Last night I had the steward's own
cabin, opening on deck, all to myself. It had been previously occupied
by some desolate lady, who went ashore at Civita Vecchia. There was
little or no sea, thank Heaven, all the trip; but the rain was heavier
than any I have ever seen, and the lightning very constant and vivid. We
were, with the crew, some two hundred people; with boats, at the utmost
stretch, for one hundred, perhaps. I could not help thinking what would
happen if we met with any accident; the crew being chiefly Maltese, and
evidently fellows who would cut off alone in the largest boat on the
least alarm. The speed (it being the crack express ship for the India
mail) very high; also the running through all the narrow rocky channels.
Thank God, however, here we are. Though the more sensible and
experienced part of the passengers agreed with me this morning that it
was not a