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ness of the night, in some degree; but its appearance was such, that the seamen foretold a stormy night, and a stormy night we had. The sea ran high, and the vessel pitched conderably; our safety lay (under Providence,) in the skill and attention of the ship's company. The captain was on deck the whole night. I was much pleased at seeing the care exercised to avoid collision with other vessels. The Royal Adelaide had brilliant lamps in front of her paddleboxes, and a man stationed at the forecastle to look out. On the cry of " a sail," the mate put a lanthorn aft, outside the starboard or larboard; and on this side, the approaching vessel ought to pass. One very large vessel sailed within half a ship's length of us.

During the night we passed along the eastern coast of Kent, and the eastern and southern coasts of Sussex, and reached that of Hampshire.

CHAPTER III.

"Oft in her glass the musing shepherd spies
The watery landscape of the pendent woods,
And absent trees that tremble in the floods."

POPE.

I HAD heard much in praise of the Isle of Wight, for its beautiful scenery; and if the interior of that island equal the generality of the northern coast, it has not been praised too much. The coast is characterised by hill and dale,-by woodlands and interstitial lawns, which slope to the edge of the sea,---by seats of nobility and gentry,---antique houses, and ivy-mantled cottages. The seat of the late Sir Samuel Romilly, at which that celebrated individual so unhappily terminated his brilliant professional career, was pointed out to me.

Soon after we neared the Island, my attention was directed to the spot where the remains of the often lamented Royal George lie submerged. This is at Spithead; and the wreck lies about a mile and a half due south, from the entrance to Portsmouth harbour. Three vessels are anchored over the wreck, and indicate the locality; being there for the purpose of forwarding the great undertaking of blowing her up and removing her remains: the accomplishment of which is of course desirable, with a view to restore the safe navigation of the spot. The sea, which had continued rough, became calm on passing Spithead, and was soon as peaceful as the Thames, by reason of the island sheltering our course. Ryde appeared a conspicuous object amongst the beauties of the Wight coast; having a wooden pier standing on piles, and running out to sea a considerable distance; its appearance being somewhat similar to that of Battersea bridge. I observed many pleasure yachts lying at anchor here.

Our vessel touched at Cowes, and parted with some of her passengers, and received others. The port of Cowes presents a pretty scene.

There were several vessels in the harbour; and much liveliness was occasioned by the various boats crowding alongside, bringing fresh passengers on board, and plying for passengers to go on shore. I surveyed with pleasure the church, and several buildings near the water at east Cowes. Several private dwellings are elegant and tasteful, but too close to one another and to the water, to admit of any other than architectural ornament. I have often remarked how any ordinary building is rendered interesting by the appendage of rural circumstance, and particularly by the ornament of wood; but never did I feel it more forcibly than upon the occasional contrast afforded to my observation by the scenery of the Wight northern coast.

The western extremity of the northern coast of Wight is void of that beauty

which has given this island such merited celebrity. It rises into lofty heights, covered with downs; and scarcely a house or tree is visible. I remember to have seen but three buildings on the last few miles of the coast; one was an inland farm house, another was a blockade station, and the last was the light-house at the western extremity. I observed within a few hundred yards of the end of this coast, that now presented a rocky cliff, a portion which was singularly attractive by its colorific diversity; all the colours of the rainbow seeming to be displayed on that section of the rock. It was noticed by my fellowpassengers, and the captain expressed his opinion that it was occasioned by mineral substance. Having reached the western end of the island, we passed the

Needles,

which may be called the land's end of Wight. These are isolated, altitudinous rocks, running out, westerly, from the extremity of the island; between the bases

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