A dismal midnight leave of Columbia's shores followed. After riding out another day of "hard hearted winds," attended by thunder and lightning, the anchor was once more weighed, and as night approached, we succeeded in gaining the mouth of the Bay with a sufficient "slant of wind" to get out. The darkness now became extreme; and about eleven o'clock the pilot quitted the ship {222} and went on board his attending boat, leaving his best instructions in what manner to steer; yet a little apprehensive on account of the rocks called "Hen and chickens," and some other shoals which were yet to be passed. Two other vessels, the sounds from which could now and then be heard, were working out at the same time; their pilots having also left them, their lanthern lights, which had been watched with some comfort, were extinguished as well as our own; and we turned in to behold land no more until we might hail the white cliffs of Albion. 10th. Our good ship, the Factor, has now fairly taken her departure, and is "walking away" with a tolerably fair breeze. A fine sky smiles overhead, and the two ships and several more are in view; one of our consorts has borne down and spoke, she is bound for the East Indies and heavily laden. Some immense flocks of small birds are seen attending upon shoals of mackarel, urging on their way to meet destruction upon the coasts of America.--But it is not my intention to detail at length the events of the passage:--we experienced, as many have done before, black heavy clouds rising in successive squalls; the ominous porpoise in shoals leaped forward above the wave, and darting in again shot swiftly along seeming to contend with the ship in velocity. The fog {223} bank at early morn sometimes displayed its illusive scenery of land, trees, lakes, and mountains; pleasing as the visions of young Hope, and as unsubstantial. Occasionally we watched-- "The course of the far distant sail 'Till shapeless and lost to the view" pressing onward over this world of waters to gain the hoped-for port; and if by chance a vessel passed near enough to speak, it was an event highly interesting to all. The first two weeks were rendered tedious by contrary winds and calms, but during the rest of the passage the breezes seemed to blow on purpose to forward us; and at length, on the 1st June, we beheld the high land of Erin bearing exactly as our Captain[72] had calculated; indeed it is but justice to him to say that his lunar and other observations were throughout correct. He is a brave and worthy man from whom we experienced every polite attention to comfort during the passage. We now bore up the channel with a strong but favourable breeze, and passing Holyhead took in a pilot, and the following morning the Factor was brought safely into dock at Liverpool (in a hard gale however,) in twenty-four days from leaving Delaware Bay.