whale-fishing. I intended visiting St. John's, but had not time. It was
fortunate, as I should have been left behind. Owing to some breakdown,
the mail did not arrive in Halifax in time for us: neither did the
Quebec mail, by the Gulf of St. Lawrence, from Quebec, _viâ_ Picton, 120
miles from Halifax, arrive; and, because Captain Harrison would not wait
for these mails, the Governor would not allow him the Halifax: so we
started at half-past ten, leaving them all behind. At Halifax I made the
acquaintance of Mr. Howe, late of the Executive Council, and Collector
of Excise, which he resigned: salary, £700 a year. He is now editor of
the Nova Scotia newspaper. I shall not forget his politeness, although
he is a red-hot Radical. They send whalers from Halifax to the South
Seas. Opposite Halifax is Dartmouth, a town of 15,000 inhabitants,
whence they send plaster and rum to the States. We passed St. George's
Island, a battery, and the Thumb Cap, where the _Tribune_ was lost. We
also passed the Curzon and Devil's Island Beacon, and were much
gratified by passing a fleet of men-of-war, the largest of which, the
_Illustrious_, 74 guns, 700 hands, was in full sail, with a band of
music playing and singing "_Home, sweet home_," which went to my very
soul. They were bound for Bermuda, West India Islands. Their Admiral,
Sir C. Adam, was on board, with sixteen officers. At five P.M. we were
out of sight of land, steaming it along at ten knots.



PASSAGE HOME PER ACADIA.


Nov. 1st.--Light westerly winds, with fine clear weather. All sails set.

Lat. 42° 57'; Long. 66° 57' 87".