Tuesday, September 17th

On deck early, a lovely morning. Hamilton took a shower bath, which is rigged on deck like an ordinary bath made of canvas; through a perforated roof the sailors throw buckets of water down. Came in sight, but not quite signal distance, of a large ship with her fore topmast carried away. Spitefully presumed it was the Randolph, but the Captain does not think so. Sighted the highlands of Porto Santo, one of the Madeira Islands, and are rapidly running down upon it. The weather is truly delicious. The sun is warm but shaded from the deck by an awning and cooled by a fresh breeze which, at the same time favourably filling our sails, is truly luxurious. A sky-sail is set above the main royal. Wrote out an extract from 'What to Observe' upon the Trade Winds for the information of the readers of the Cockroach. Lat. 33.26. In the evening on the forecastle, observing our approach to the S.E. point of Madeira. The high mountains called the Kraal (I believe) look noble enough for so small an island. Provokingly passed the shore four miles off after dark so that we could only see what we missed seeing. Trees, vegetation and houses would have been distinctly observed if daylight had lasted two hours longer. In the evening, after tea, Stout, the fiddler, produced his soundest fiddle of three strings all the same size, but managed in spite of the evident difficulties, to set a dozen pair of feet jigging it to a country dance and polka. 'The Girl I Left Behind Me' made a capital polka; we had also a Spanish dance to 'Buy a Broom'—how page 28I was reminded by it of old Killinchy's last days. I could almost fancy I was waltzing round with little Sophia Mordaunt on my arm—my usual partner in that dance. Stayed up dancing and singing till eleven o'clock and retired in hearty good humour. Till twelve gave Bob a run on the decks, which I think did him good.