cess on the chance of retrieving in some
measure at sea, the time we had so unhappily wasted at Spithead and St
Helens. At last, on Monday the 25th October, at five in the morning,
we made the land to our great joy, and came to anchor in the afternoon
in Madeira road, in forty fathoms, the Brazen Head bearing from us E.
by S. the Loo N.N.W. and the Great Church N.N.E. We had hardly let go
our anchor when an English privateer sloop ran under our stern, and
saluted the commodore with nine guns, which we returned with five.
Next day the English consul visited the commodore, and was saluted
with nine guns on coming on board.

The island of Madeira, where we now arrived, is famous through all our
American settlements for its excellent wines, which seem designed by
Providence for the refreshment of the inhabitants of the torrid zone.
It is situated in a fine climate, in lat. 32 deg. 27' N. and long. from
London 18 deg. 30' to 19 deg. 30' W. by our different reckonings, though laid
down in the charts in 47 deg..[1] The whole island is composed of one
continued hill of considerable height, extending from east to
west; the declivity of which, on the south side, is cultivated and
interspersed with vineyards. In the middle of this slope the merchants
have their country seats, which contribute to form a very agreeable
prospect. There is but one considerable town, named Fonchiale, on
the south part of the island, situated at the bottom of a large
bay. Towards the sea it is defended by a high wall with a battery of
cannon, besides a castle on the Loo, which is a rock standing in the
water at a small distance from the shore. Tonchiale is the only place
of trade, and indeed the only place where it is possible for a boat to
land; and even there the beach is so covered with great stones, and so
violent a surf beats continually upon it, that the commodore did not
care to venture the long-boats of our ships in fetching off water,
and therefore ordered the captains to employ Portuguese boats on that
service.

[Footnote 1: The charts are however the most accurate, as that is the
long. of the centre of Madeira, in our best modern maps.--E.]

We continued about a week at this island, watering our ships, and
providing the squadron with wine and other refreshments. While here,
on the 3d November, Captain Richard Norris signified to the commodore,
by letter, his desire to quit the command of the Gloucester, in order
to return to England for th