shore of Madagascar, in like manner as the other is known to sweep the skirts of the Agullas bank; more especially at this season of the year, when the very strong north-west winds prevail. It must have been on our opening, or indeed a little before we opened the Mozambique, that we experienced the heavy current easterly. A most satisfactory proof of the strength and direction of the current on the African side, was exhibited on the 28th, and shows how completely the western current is guided by the Agullas bank. The day previous, we had struck soundings, which, from the latitude, we knew must have been on the very edge of the bank. Soon after, it came to blow excessively hard at N.W., in consequence of which we were obliged to heave to on the starboard tack. In this position we lay all night, and till nearly the following noon, drifting bodily to leeward as we supposed, but were agreeably surprised to find, by meridional altitude of the sun, that instead of losing ground, we were 7 miles to the northward of the former day.

By observation of sun and moon on the 1st of July, in 34° 48′ S., we found the old westerly set, for the long. 14° 17′ E., was 26' ahead of the dead reckoning. A strong breeze springing up at S.S.W. on the 3d, with rain and dark weather, we rolled along before it, and on the 5th it shifted to S.S.E., becoming fixed on the following day at S.E., and continuing to blow from that quarter without a moment's cessation, till we made the Island of St. Helena. By distances of sun and moon on the 10th, in 19° 27' S., we found the longitude 1° 41′ W.; being just 50' to the westward of our reckoning. Next day proved favourable, and we had a few more distances, which gave the longitude 3° 47′ W. From the perfect agreement with the observations of the preceding day, we felt a confidence in our situation, which induced us to steer direct for the Island; and we had the satisfaction of seeing high land at daylight of the 12th, on the lee bow, agreeable to our expec

tations.

As we approached the land, the wind died away, which hindered us from getting to our anchorage till the following day. We found riding abreast of James's town, a fleet of Indiamen from Bengal, and learned that the China fleet had sailed for England some weeks before our arrival, under convoy of His Majesty's ship Plantagenet. I was now become so well acquainted with disappointment, that I began to be reconciled to it; and I had some solace left, in the thoughts of being able to escape the privateers in the Channel, by keeping company with the Indiamen. We had every

reason to expect the Courageux, but were not altogether certain. On the day however that the Windham (who was to stand Commodore to England) made the signal for sailing, a signal from the heights announced three sail of ships, which we knew must be the Courageux, with the store-ships for the Island. Immediately on the anchoring of the ships, I waited on Captain Boyles, and requested a passage in his ship home; for I had determined to trust no longer to the chance of parting company, when I should fall in with a man of war.

The Island of St. Helena is high, and barren, but intersected with deep vallies, down which gurgle streams of excellent water, and in which there are some delightful, fertile spots, where one given to solitude might pass away his days in tranquillity, and pleasingly devote his attention to agriculture and books. He has here neither mollia prata, nor nemora, to diversify the scenery; but he has the gelidi fontes, which he can supercilio clivosi tramitis elicere, and enjoy the raucum per lævia murmur saxa, as well as the frigus opacum, in the very warmest season of the year; while he scutebris arentia temperat arva. This Island is so high, and abrupt in its whole circumference, that it may be safely pronounced impregnable. Strong batteries are placed on the summits of the hills, in the neighbourhood of those vallies where alone a landing could be effected, which are so elevated, that, without reach of danger themselves, they could fire down upon an assailing ship, in that oblique direction, which would send her to the bottom. Granite is the base of this island, and we have indubitable marks of its having been thrown up by fire, for on the highest eminences we meet every where with granitous matter, partly in the original state, and partly in that cellular form, characteristic of lava.

The Courageux having completed her water, we weighed on the 13th of August, with a fine breeze, which carried us into north latitude on the 23d, without any thing remarkable occurring, save our old westerly set, amounting, at an average, to about 11 miles daily. Soon after crossing the Equator, we were met by winds from the W.S. W., which blew with some steadiness from that unexpected quarter till the 6th of September, when we got the regular northeast trade wind. These strange winds carried us close to the Cape Verd Islands; a thing rather unusual for homeward-bound ships. On the 27th, in lat. 39° 13' N., it came to blow strong at N.W., when we were in the vicinity of the Açores, and so near to Flores, and Corvo, that we could have no hope in weathering them. Though the weather was boisterous, the sky was clear, by

which every ship had it in her power to ascertain, by lunar observation, her exact situation; and so precisely did the longitude of each agree, that Captain Boyles, after conferring by telegraph with the different Captains of the Indiamen on the subject, made the signal to bear up, and we went, during the night, between the two Islands before mentioned, and Fagal.

On the 7th of October, when in the chops of the Channel, it blew very strong, with thick weather in the forenoon, but, on clearing towards evening, we got sight of the Lizard. About dusk of the 9th, we anchored in the Downs, which completed my voyage, after an absence of three years, and nearly as many months, from England. The joy I felt on landing was far from enviable: when I recollected, that during the whole of the voyage I had never received a scrap from one of you, there were numberless mixed emotions felt by me, repugnant to cheerfulness, which your letter has now done away; and I will henceforth look back on the voyage in the Investigator, with its appendix in the Porpoise, with feelings of adoration, gratitude, and delight.

FROM

PLATE-CCXXXHI

THE HYDROGRAPHER, (No. 5.)

NROM the circumstance of Alexandria having again fallen into the possession of the British, we have been induced to present the annexed map of the old and new towns, ports, &c.; and also of the Bay of Aboukir, the scene of one of Lord Nelson's most splendid victories.

In a former part of our work, (Vol. VIII, page 32,) we have presented a View of Alexandria, accompanied by an historical and "topographical description of that ancient city. At present, therefore, added to the illustrations in the plate, it is only necessary to observe, that Alexandria is a city in Lower Egypt, situated on the Mediterranean, twelve miles west of that branch of the Nile called Canopicum, and lying in 30° 19' east longitude, and in latitude 31° 10' north. Alexandria lies about 700 paces from the sea, and has two harbours, called the New and the Old Port, separated by a point of land in form of a mole, which is defended by two castles, erected by the Turks. The entrance to the harbour is dangerous because of the shelves; and the trade of the city, the climate of which is extremely unwholesome, is much decayed since