ver, for a more charming consignment I never had,
only the more charming the more difficult to manage."

While the calms lasted, I paid daily visits to my friends, but at length
a breeze springing up we proceeded on our voyage, as I must with my
narrative, or I may chance not to get to the end of it. We called off
the beautiful island of Madeira, with its picturesque town of Funchal--
more attractive on the outside than within; we procured, however, a
welcome supply of fresh meat, vegetables, and fruits. On our crossing
the line, Neptune and his Tritons came on board and played their usual
pranks. Jack little thinks that on such occasions he is performing a
very ancient ceremony, practised by those bold voyagers, the
Carthaginians; to them there is little doubt that the secret of the
mariner's compass was known. On sailing between the Pillars of Hercules
into the wide Atlantic they were visited, not by Hercules himself, but
by his representative priests, to whom they were wont to deliver certain
votive offerings that the propitiated divinity might protect them on
their perilous voyage. The custom of performing ceremonies of a like
description was continued to later times by the mariners of the Levant,
Greece, and Italy, long after the temple of Hercules was in ruins. When
they, and those northern seamen who had learned the scientific parts of
navigation from them, extended their voyages across the line, they
continued the practices, substituting Neptune for Hercules, and adding a
few caricatures to suit their own more barbarous taste.

Having crossed the line, and there being no longer much risk of our
meeting the cruisers of the enemy, Captain Hassall, who had long fumed
at being kept back by the slow sailing of our companions, determined to
part company. We accordingly hoisted our colours, gave a salute of nine
guns in acknowledgment of the civilities we had received, and under all
sail soon ran the dignified moving convoy out of sight. Light and
contrary winds and calms kept us so long under the sun of the tropics
that the seams of our decks began to open, and, to get them caulked and
other repairs executed, we bore up for Saint Salvador on the coast of
Brazil, belonging to Portugal. We saluted the fort on entering, and
paid every necessary respect to the authorities; but we soon found that
they either suspected our character, or were not inclined, for some
other reason, to treat us in a friendly spirit. A