My life : a record of events and opinions - Wallace-online.org

—IN THE AMAZON VALLEY 159going completely under water, and the ship beingvery heavily laden with mahogany, fustic, and otherheavy woods from Cuba, strained and creaked tremendously,and leaked to that extent that the pumpswere obliged to be kept constantly going, and theircontinued click-clack, click-clack all through the nightwas a most disagreeable and nervous sound. Oneday no fire could be made owing to the sea breakingcontinually into the galley, so we had to eat a biscuitfor our dinner ; and not a moment's rest was to behad, as we were obliged to be constantly holding on,whether standing, sitting, or lying, to prevent beingpitched about by the violent plunges and lurches ofthe vessel. The gale, however, has now happilypassed, and we have a fine breeze from the northwest,which is taking us along six or seven knotsquicker than we have ever gone yet. Among ourother disagreeables here we have no freshwater tospare for washing, and as I only saved a couple ofshirts, they are in a state of most uncomfortabledirtiness, but I console myself with the thoughts of aglorious warm bath when I get on shore.October i. Oh, glorious day! Here we are on^^shore at Deal, where the ship is at anchor. Such adinner, with our two captains ! Oh, beef-steaks anddamson tart, a paradise for hungry sinners." October 5, London. Here I am laid up withswelled ankles, my legs not being able to stand workafter such a long rest in the ship. I cannot writenow at any length— I have too much to think about.We had a narrow escape in the Channel. Manyvessels were lost in a storm on the night of September29, but we escaped. The old Iron Duke ' ' is