Our departure was not however immediately consequent on our embarkation. We lay wind-bound in the Texel roads for many days, during which time one of our young officers, a Mr. Hesseling, was unfortunately seized with the small-pox: this gentleman, in order to prevent his infecting the ship’s company, was ordered on shore to a town on the land’s end, called the Helder, where I conducted him in a pinnace, and where we left him behind us; but on my return, the surgeon declaring he saw the symptoms of the same disorder on myself, I was also immediately ordered to the island of Texel. Having passed a most anxious quarantine in this place, I had the good fortune however to escape the loathsome malady, and to the Doctor’s surprize appeared once more on board perfectly well, just before the signal gun was fired for the fleet to weigh anchor. This circumstance cannot but induce me to wish that those in particular who are destined for a military or a naval life would avail themselves of the art of inoculation, in order to avoid a painful anxiety to themselves, and a most dangerous infection to their fellow-creatures. On Christmas-day our small fleet put to sea, at eight o’clock, A. M. with a fresh breeze from E. N. E. in company with above one hundred vessels bound for different parts of the globe, and the most beautiful clear weather. Having safely got without the soundings, and saluted each other with nine guns, we kept our course down channel, and soon passed the North Foreland, the Isle of Wight, and Portland Point; but here the Westellingwerf, having sprung a leak, was obliged to part company, and run into Plymouth for repair. The wind now freshened as we approached the Bay of Biscay, where the mate of the vessel directed my particular attention to a kind of sea-swallow, commonly distinguished by the name of the Storm-bird [2], from its supposed property of foretelling an impending tempest. The colour of this bird is a very deep blue approaching to black, and enlivened by some variegated tints; its size is about that of a large martin or swallow; it is web-footed; the bill is very long and sharp, and the wings of an extraordinary length, which enable it to fly very fast, and for a considerable time, skimming with incredible velocity around the horizon: it subsists entirely upon fish, which is probably the cause of its being sensible of the first indications of whatever may prevent its usual supply of food: it then flies along with extreme swiftness, in order to avoid the storm; but if overtaken by it, drops its wings, and floats upon the surface of the waves.