31st Dec 1831

Devonport to Canary Islands
In the morning very uncomfortable; got up about noon and enjoyed some few moments of comparative ease. A shoal of porpoises dashing round the vessel and a stormy petrel skimming over the waves were the first objects of interest I have seen. I spent a very pleasant afternoon lying on the sofa, either talking to the Captain or reading Humboldt glowing accounts of tropical scenery. Nothing could be better adapted for cheering the heart of a sea-sick man.

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