SEA DRIFT,

state rooms, and I have a smaller berth at the foot of the companion ladder, with the use of another, further aft, fitted up as a bath room and spare sleeping cabin.

In the morning we weighed at daylight, and turned through the Needles with the ebb tide, when we got out the wind freshened with rain, and, after making good way to the westward, we all agreed that it would be wise to secure a shelter under Portland Breakwater, for the night and this was accordingly done, and we anchored at eleven o'clock.

The Dream' is an admirable craft, has comfort, stability, stowage, and reasonable speed, and certainly her proprietor handles her admirably.

Our breakfast the first day consisted of broiled fish, ditto kidneys, a noble cold round of beef, tea and coffee, toast, cream, hot bread, shrimps, and marmalade; for dinner we had soup, brill, a plàt beyond my culinary knowledge, which appeared to be concocted of sweet-breads and green peas, a small roast neck of mutton, and a currant tart; the wines were claret and sherry, brandy and water for those who approved, and XX. I have gone through this bill of fare once for all to indicate the living on board the 'Dream'; and as Thackeray, in his 'Morbid Anatomy,' describes, pour une fois, the peculiarities, and her objection to the letter H., of Madame La Princesse nèe Higgs, of Manchester, and afterwards gives her observations in the ordinary vernacular, so I shall pretermit for the future the particular items of our dinners, and merely advert to the general fact that we dined. Having weighed in the morning, we had a beautiful beat along the coasts of Dorset and Devonshire, seeing all the nice little watering places-Dawlish, Exmouth, Teignmouth, Overton, Torquay, &c. As we stood close in to each of

them, making our way to the Westward, pretty solitary billing and cooing retirements, but none of them much to my fancy. After we passed the Berry-head it came on thick and dirty-looking, and it was agreed by our triumvirate (who had each his voice in the direction of affairs) that the inside of Torbay would be preferable to the outside on such a night, and we anchored accordingly off the lights of Brixham.

Weighed in the morning the little 'Dream'; as we beat along down channel, passing a variety of vessels engaged in like manner, as if they were deep laden colliers. Both at Portland and Torbay we were boarded by the Coast Guard, to whom I gave notes to my wife. I hope these guardians of our revenue may put my valedictory missives into the post-office, and not (as I somewhat apprehend) light their pipes with mes adieux.

The sea, yesterday and to-day, had the beautiful bright green and the fresh hazy appearence which is amongst les delices of tropical sailing; but now, at four o'clock, it has come on to blow fresh, and the sea assumes that muddy look which belongs to the home portion of the waves over which Britannia rules. Blowing hard, we think it well to seek shelter in Falmouth for the night.

Falmouth Harbour, Tuesday Night, July 16, 1856.

We anchored here at eight o'clock, and found the harbour very crowded. Bentinck and Murray have heavy colds. I am, thank God, well, though my stomach has been all day sensible of the roughness of the sea. We had a long talk over our projects and

prospects of success. The tripartite division of the schatz, if it were found, had been already agreed upon; and the fact of my having inquired of the Admiralty if they meant to search any further, and my having then made the case patent to the world by publishing it

in the Nautical Magazine,' was considered as leaving us at liberty to make any running we pleased.

The law of treasure-trove, as far as we could learn, is governed in Portugal, as it was heretofore in England, by the Institutes of the Civil Law, which give all to the finder; and the same law appears to bar the right of the owner (who makes no search) by the lapse of twenty years, a period long since expired. We therefore agreed not to call at Lisbon, or Madeira, or employ the introductions which Lord Howard and our popular countrywoman, Madame Barrot (wife to the French Minister at Brussels), had kindly furnished us to these places, but to make straight for the Salvages. The ownership of these interesting islets we cannot clearly establish. The 'Brussels Geographical Gazetteer' gives them to Spain, and ours to Portugal. I suspect they belong to neither country, occupation, according to the law of nations, conferring possession; and do not believe that any occupancy has been exercised here, and if so, we have as much right to them as Christopher Columbus had to the Queen's Garden," or Alexander Selkirk to Juan Fernandez.

We agreed as to the mode of search with the instruments which Colonel Murray and I had procured, and though we touched upon our subsequent proceedings, we deferred a good deal in this matter to the advice of Mrs. Glasse, "first catch your hare." It was curious enough that in leaving Ireland, where I had left my papers and other articles, I threw into a trunk, almost at random, all the official letters and copies of proceedings relative to this affair. The chance of my having preserved these papers at all for thirty years, and their turning up at the right moment, appeared like a favourable augury. If I do as well in my desert island as my namesake-" of York, Mariner "-did in his, I need not complain; and it is droll

enough that my own patronymic and that of my former guide-Cruize, or Kruitzer, or Crusoe, sic. orig.-should produce the auspicious combination of Robinson Crusoe.

The wind has just set in fresh from the Northward, and we purpose starting in the morning, and may, I hope, have a good run out of the Channel. The boat goes at daylight with our letters, and for fresh fish and milk, and then "Southward, ho!”

The Dream' is, as I have already said, a beautiful reality, and Bentinck handles her as if he had been brought up in a Peter boat; the Chief Mate is a tough old sailor, who seems to think his craft can do anything but speak-like the monkeys at Gibraltar, whom they say can if they liked; the Second Mate and crew seem attentive, well-conducted men. The Chef is an artist of considerable merit, and the two cabin servants very civil and effective.

Thursday Morning, July 17, 1856.

Sailed from Falmouth at eleven o'clock yesterday, blowing fresh from the N.N.W.; stood to the S.W., across a heavy broken-what Mr. Lillyvick would call toomultoous-sea, and this morning we are abreast of Ushant, about twelve leagues distant. I had gone to bed early, and being good for only a certain number of hours sleep, I was up betimes. Nearly calm; a line-of-battle ship, armee en flute, in sight; I think the Belleisle,' with troops. They must be wonderfully indifferent as to news, not to either speak or send a boat to us to learn whether the old Ocean Queen were still above water, or at war, or in peace; but that was their look-out; and we separated after hoisting our respective ensigns, the

and the ship of war acknowleding the beau salut.

we are fairly upon the "dark blue sea"-I don't

Dream' first,

And now that

know why they

call it "blue," except that it is green-I purpose daily, at noon,

writing up my log with such materials as our cruize shall afford. I remember complaining to a dear friend, long, long ago, that I had nothing to write about, who replied, "Write everything that happens to you; when you go on deck and when you go below, what you have for dinner, what are the names of your ship's company," &c., &c. I did so accordingly, and must again, for the edification of those who are interested in hearing about me.

Noon, July 17.

Lat. 48-43 N., long. 64:18 W.; Great Salvage, S.S.W., 1440 miles. It is not usual to take so long a shot in the way of bearing and distance, and, moreover, this would slice off Cape Finisterre ; but I do it in order to afford a rough view of our ultimate destination. The soundings at noon, sixty-six fathoms; mealy sand, corresponding with our place on the chart. They were taken with Ogden's patent machine, an admirable contrivance; a tube of glass twenty inches long, graduated like an apothecary's measure, with a hole at the top which admits the water; the water rises by hydraulic pressure, according as the instrument descends. The tube is enclosed in an iron case, with a small spiral spring at the bottom of the case to prevent the glass tube being broken by the concussion against the ground. A little concavity at the bottom of the iron case receives the arming as in a common lead, and the depth is read off on the index marked along the glass tube.

The wind drew into the Southward, with rain and a heavy sea. The glass, ameroid, symptometer, and such rheumatic twinges as any of us are addicted to, all indicate bad weather. Made snug for the night, and stood to the Westward; as we could make no Southing, it was well to put in a little difference of longitude. Weather thick and disagreeable; and although the moon was near