Page:A narrative of travels on the Amazon and Rio Negro.djvu/311

 i8S2.] ARRIVAL AT DEAL. 279

the increased number of mouths : our cheese and ham were finished,— then our peas gave out, and we had no more pea- soup, — next the butter came to an end, and we had to eat our biscuit dry, — our bread and pork, too, got very short, and we had to be put upon allowance. We then got some supplies from another ship; but our voyage was so much prolonged, and we had adverse winds and another heavy gale, so that we were again in want, finished our last piece of meat, and had to make some scanty dinners off biscuit and water. Again we were relieved with a little supply of pork and some molasses, and so managed pretty well.

We were in the Channel on the night of the 29th of Sep- tember, when a violent gale occurred, that did great damage to the shipping, and caused the destruction of many vessels much more seaworthy than our own. The next morning we had four feet of water in the hold.

On the 1 st of October the pilot came on board, and Captain Turner and myself landed at Deal, after an eighty days' voyage from Para; thankful for having escaped so many dangers, and glad to tread once more on English ground.