'June 6.--This day six years I was made a Post Captain, had my poor
father lived to-day he would have completed his sixty-third year. Strong
winds and contrary--directly in our teeth. Nevertheless we make good
more than four miles per hour. Yesterday hove to under the lee of
Gibraltar all day. I finished Byron's Memoirs by T. Moore. Many
sentences in his latter letters from Missolonghi which he word for word
said to me when I saw him there. Our passengers are a gentleman in the
government of Corfu and a young officer of the _Britannia_ said to
be dying of a consumption--eats like the devil--very obstinate--will
do as he pleases, seems determined to do what is quite right--send the
doctor to the devil. Learn that a horse power in steaming is 32,000 lbs.

'June 9.--Fell in with the _St. Vincent_ bearing the Flag of E.A.
Sir H. Hotham on his way to relieve Sir P. Malcolm. Received letters
from my uncles, &c. &c. Melancholy enough and politically disagreeable.
Shall rejoin my dear _Alligator_ again. Nothing can be more kind
than the conduct of the Admiralty. Allow ship to come home if I please,
&c. &c.

'Steam boilers leak. Put fires out, lose seven hours--obliged to empty
boilers--the Devil and all! At least the men here are devils incarnate--
two of them entered the boilers and drove rivets with the thermometer
160 in there.

'Sir H. Hotham wrote me a kind note in answer to my request to allow
Hart to bring the ship home after me.

'June 20.--At sea hove to off the coast of Portugal in the steam packet.
Sailed from Gibraltar (the 2nd time having put back once in consequence
of the coals being bad Welsh). On the 15th called at Cadiz. On the 16th