on deck. During the
rest of the passage I made Angelo serve my repasts. The Frenchman was
a character. "_Je viens de perdre ma femme_," he said; "_il y a
des femmes mechantes vous savez, Monsieur, et des femmes bonnes; la
mienne etait bonne! mais bonne! Tenez, je l'ai mis dans le cercueil
moi meme, et maintenant je suis ici pour me distraire, car je n'en
trouverai pas une comme celle-la, allez. Je ferai le voyage, j'irai
en Alexandrie--n'importe ou, travailler j'irai a l'Isthme de
Suez._" At last we arrived in Malta. It is a pity for officers and
others there is no regular communication by steam between Malta and
Tunis; for the _desagremens_ of a sailing-vessel are by no means
despicable. Witness a friend of mine's report thereon:--

"25th.--Came on board the _Gemo_ at seven A.M.; went on shore again at
nine, and stopped all day. Dined and slept on board; rough living
here, but no cattle, which is a great thing.--26th. Set sail at eleven
A.M.; fair wind; fine day, and very hot.--27th. Rain all night; wind
light and variable, and one made but little progress. Cape Bona still
close to us this morning. We are only going at three and three-quarter
knots per hour. A fine breeze got up at twelve, and at seven we passed
Panteleria Isle, going at seven knots.--28th. Wind fell away early
this morning, and about eleven blew strong from the east: the worst
quarter it could for us.--29th. This accursed wind has lasted all
night, and blows harder this morning; the sea, too, is very high. It
is intensely miserable; rough sea, bad grub, no one to talk to, no
books, and no idea when we shall reach Malta.--30th. East wind still;
an almighty swell on; one can neither sit, lie, nor stand with
comfort. The coast of Sicily is very plain this morning. We are about
forty-five miles from Malta, but no one can say when we shall reach
it. Fresh provisions have nearly come to an end. Let any one ever
catch me on board a sailing-ship again, unless I am forced.--1st. Half
a gale, and a heavy sea last night; got no sleep, as the ship jumped
so; and the mattress--fancy now!--is stuffed with sticks, and is so
cursedly hard, that, after five days of it, one's bones ache all over.
A very fine day; but this awful wind still east. At eleven A.M. we
were off Gozo, only twenty miles from our destination; but it was
impossible to get there. The diet and food on board are awful; I am
nearly starved. There was only one thing amusing. A Maltese, who slept
in t