e.

I thought it curious to observe this first dawning of literature and
interest in politics in this little island. There are certainly enough
anglicisms in the paper, to point out the probable country of some of
the writers; and there are, as might be looked for, some traces of the
residence of British troops in the colony; but on the whole, the paper
is creditable to the editors, and likely to be useful to the island. I
hear the articles on the making of wines and brandies very highly spoken
of. Madeira, lying in the finest climate in the world, beautiful and
fertile, and easy of access to foreigners, ought not to be a mere half
civilised colony.

23d.--We sailed yesterday from Funchal, and soon lost sight of the

"Filha do oceano
Do undoso campo flor, gentil MADEIRA." DINIZ.

At night, I sat a long time on the deck, listening to the sea songs with
which the crew beguile the evening watch. Though the humorous songs were
applauded sufficiently, yet the plaintive and pathetic seemed the
favourites; and the chorus to the Death of Wolfe was swelled by many
voices. Oh, who shall say that fame is not a real good! It is twice
blessed--it blesses him who earns, and those who give, to parody the
words of Shakspeare. Here, on the wide ocean, far from the land of
Wolfe's birth, and that of his gallant death, his story was raising and
swelling the hearts of rough men, and exciting love of country and of
glory by the very sound of his name. Well may _he_ be called a
benefactor to his country who, by increasing the list of patriotic
sailors' songs, has fostered those feelings and energies which have
placed Britain's "home upon the mountain wave, and her march upon the
deep."

The charms of night in a southern climate have been dwelt upon by
travelled poets (for I call Madame de Stael's writings poetry), and even
travelled prose writers; but Lord Byron alone has sketched with
knowledge and with love, the moonlight scenery of a frigate in full
sail. The life of a seaman is the essence of poetry; change, new
combinations, danger, situations from almost deathlike calm, to the
maddest combinations of horror--every romantic feeling called forth, and
every power of heart and intellect exercised. Man, weak as he is,
baffling the elements, and again seeing that miracle of his invention,
the tall ship he sails in, tossed to and fro, like the lightest feather
from the seabird's wing--while he can do nothing but resign himsel