Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1841 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAP. XV. ARRIVAL IN ENGLAND AND MARCHING TO PRISON. The whole of the twenty-ninth of January, we were within sight of the white chalky cliffs of England, but with so boisterous a head-wind that we made but little progress. The sight of these cliffs from our ship was cheerless in the extreme, for no portion exhibited the least indication of either fertility or life;--nothing could be discerned but the low white-covered shores of this angry and troubled ocean, whose waves, by the fierceness of the head wind that we were vainly contending against, were tossing the ship about and baffling her crew in their every exertion, in a way that showed but little chance of their accomplishing their object; for as often as we stretched towards the land after an hour's beating, so often would the wind balk all the trials made, and drift the vessel apparently farther out to sea. It was supposed thaf we should be enabled to reach the harbour of Plymouth about two o'clock on the morning of the thirtieth; and more than once I feigned an excuse to go on deck, for the purpose of seeing the entrance to this far-famed naval station. But at twelve o'clock, the ship was struck with a squall, and taken directly aback; when, in wareing round, she came very near being capsized with the violence of the wind; tnis obliged her to put out seaward for more room, and she ran before the gale several hours, with a velocity much greater than she had previously done, whilst endeavouring to gain the shore. A midshipman, during this boisterous night, for some misdemeanor, was compelled to take a two-hours' look-out from the mast-head, as did the delinquent dandy on board of our brig, some two nights before she was captured. I happened to go on deck just as his mast-heading...
