Travel Diaries and Journals

As they use with the fire engines in Edinr roses like those in a watering pan are attached to it A sailor gets in the top of a hatchway with this in his hand. While a dozen natives work at the pump. You get under the roses & have a first rate ducking Your shower baths in Edinr are mere childs play compared to this At 8 o'clock Am. we saw a ship ahead. We soon gained upon her. We hoisted our colours they returned the tricolor so that she was French. We were not near enough to interchange any more signals. We soon lost sight of her far behind At 3 o'clock this afternoon we sighted one of the Canary islands Palma for my part I could not think it any thing else than a cloud the Sailors however said it Was land & that it was the island Palma. We also saw dimly the Peak of Teneriffe which was very high out from the sea 12300 feet we guess more than 100 miles distant from Teneriffe & about 18 from Palma. On the latter we could see some houses apparently built among the rocks. I did not see that

On the left of Table Mountain is the Devils peak. (For what reason it has received the above euphonian title I know not) looking over the port side of the vessel is the Northern side of the bay & further out of the bay Robben Island. It is now eight months since I left home. Certainly the most eventful period of my past life. First nearly 3 months on the voyage to India, rather more than three months residence in Calcutta after seein Mauritius Palma Santa Cruz Ceylon Madras & now here we are in Table Bay. Certainly the pleasantest place I have seen since I left England and A place I should not have the slightest objection to settle down in. I must begin to write a long letter home today. The mail leaves about the 20th. & is due in England