II - Proceedings of the Colonists from their leaving England to their arrival in the Bijuga Channel, on the Coast of Africa.

Summary

THE wind, which had changed to the westward as soon as we had got through the Needles, became fair the next morn, and increasing gradually to a stiff breeze, enabled us to clear the Channel on the evening of the 15th, when Sophia Ford, a girl who had died the preceding day of a decline, was committed to the deep. The next day we lost sight of the Beggar's Benison in the morn, and although in every consideration it was highly desirable that the ships should continue together during their passage, yet, from a very unaccountable inattention on board the Calypso, that ship parted from us in the following night.

As the weather was very fine, and the Calypso had the advantage of the Hankey in sailing, no blame whatever could be attached to the master of the latter ship, the Calypso was lost sight of indeed almost in the wind's eye, so that it was ever in her power to bear down upon, and close with the Hankey.

The wind had hitherto been very moderate, but on the 19th it increased so much as to produce a sea which was very inconvenient to those unaccustomed to it, and the consequence was that most of the landmen, and all the women were sea sick; the latter, some of whom had infants at the breast, had been more than 24 hours without nourishment of any kind, and would have been so much longer if I had not undertaken to cook for them; for some, who would have relieved them if able, were labouring under the same disease; and the surgeon, whose more immediate duty it was to attend to them, was wholly destitute of feeling; he left to those, who had folly enough to feel, the charge of taking care of his patients; this certainly was not a very dignified employment, it was at least a useful one, and had I not undertaken it these poor women might have suffered much from hunger ere any other would have relieved them.