8 A.M.--Met on landing by Lieutenant Oldfield, whose mother had been found dead in her bed! Attended with George Goldsmith a lecture on electricity by Captain Sir W. Harris--lightning conductors. Dined with Lady Hillyar, a good, dear old lady. She entertained Captains after the battle of Trafalgar, Gibraltar! [Sidenote: Feb. 6.] Wind veering to N.W.; weighed from Sound. Stood out by Eastern Passage. [Illustration: Mæander _leaving Plymouth_.] [Sidenote: Feb. 7.] Wind back to W.S.W., accompanied by a smash of crockery. Appearance of worse weather. [Sidenote: Feb. 10.] Took shelter in Cork Harbour. Brooke and I dined with Admiral Mackay. [Sidenote: Feb. 14.] Took Mrs. and Miss Napier, and my young nephew, Leicester Keppel, to Cork. Sent valentines to Bijou Dalyell, Collier, and Georgie Johnson. [Sidenote: Feb. 15.] Wind veering round to northward; took leave of Admiral, and borrowed his latest newspapers. At 11 A.M. under weigh and stood out of Cork Harbour. Adieu to Europe. [Sidenote: Feb. 16.] Sea getting up; breeze freshening into a gale; ship plunging and rolling. Little Leicester announced that he was going to die. Smash among chairs and what was left of crockery. [Sidenote: Feb. 17.] At daylight Napier’s little boy, James Brooke, aged five months, was found dead in its bed. Sad blow to the parents. Supposed to have gone off in a fit. Poor Mrs. Napier--poor Napier! Nurse in hysterics. [Sidenote: Feb. 18.] Wind dead on end. Napier wretched. Leaden coffin made for the small thing; in evening screwed it down in a mahogany one, and covered over with a Union Jack, to be landed at Madeira. [Sidenote: Feb. 20.] Divine service performed in cabin. Gunroom table too crowded for my party to dine there. I had ever looked forward to the command of a frigate as the height of my ambition. I copy the following from Sir Spenser St. John’s book, he having been one of my passengers:-- There is no greater error in the world than turning vessels of war into passenger ships, particularly when ladies are concerned. Every spot is occupied beforehand, so that the unfortunate passengers soon discover that they are _de trop_, and the comfort of the officers and discipline of the ship suffer from having a miscellaneous crowd of idlers. Though every desire was shown by captain and officers to render passengers comfortable, it had but poor success! Mr. Scott, Mr. Hoskins, and myself were stuffed into one small cabin with only two beds; I had to resign myself to swinging in a hammock. The main-deck guns, as far forward as the mainmast, were dismounted; the ports fitted in as windows, and the deck divided into cabins--the ship having the appearance of one of Mr. Green’s fine Indiamen, without the accommodation. My cabin was called the “saloon,” my servants “waiters,” and when the ship gave an extra plunge, sundry “brandies and sodas” were called for. [Sidenote: Madeira, Feb. 23.]