Being advised, on the 3d of November, that the _Jacob Bell_ had received her full cargo, and would sail in a few days, we hastened the few remaining preparations for our long voyage, and embarked on board of her. On Friday, the 7th of the month, our regretful adieus were made to the friends we were leaving, and the ship was towed from the anchorage down the river by the English steamer _Fieloong_, when she anchored for the night at Sharp Peak Island. The next morning, being again taken in tow, we were soon beyond all rocks and bars, when the steamer left us in charge of a pilot, who was also to leave us at the White Dogs. On reaching the neighborhood of these islands, however, we encountered a very short and heavy sea; and not being able to pass sufficiently near under the lee of the island to make it safe for the pilot-boat to come off for him, he was compelled to go down the sea with us. In such rough sailing it was impossible not to come somewhat under the influence of old Neptune, and poor Charlie suffered severely. We were, however, too good sailors to be long affected, and the next day all such disagreeables were forgotten. Our accommodations were excellent; and although we were the only passengers, the fact that Captain Frisbie--the master of the vessel--had his wife on board was encouraging, and enabled me to look forward the more hopefully to the safe termination of the long voyage before us. A strong northeast monsoon drove us down the channel of Formosa and the China Sea at the rate of eleven knots an hour, so that on Sunday we were passing Namoa Island, which lies not far from the entrance to the harbor of Swatow; and on Monday morning were sailing within forty miles of Hong Kong. After sighting Victoria Peak we fell in with a native pilot-boat, which enabling the captain to send his Fuh-chauan pilot to Hong Kong, we did not suffer the detention we had feared, in being obliged to go into port in order to land him. On the 18th day of the month--when below the fourth degree of north latitude, and in the neighborhood of the Natura Islands--our fine breeze left us; but, under the influence of light winds, we sailed on slowly,--the mercury indicating a heat of from eighty to ninety degrees. The weather soon became so oppressive that, on the 21st of the month, one of the sailors had a _coup de soleil_, and fell while at the wheel. Happily it did not prove a fatal case, and after a few days of care the man was again performing his duties. While near the Natura Islands we had several ships in sight, and speaking two of them, learned that they were bound to London. During the night of the 21st we had severe squalls of wind and rain, and in a few hours “boxed the compass” seven times. Calms succeeded these squalls, but when off the island of Borneo strong southerly currents floated us gently onward, and at noon on the 23d of November we crossed the equator.