University of Virginia Library

1817.—NOVEMBER 5.( Wednesday.)

I LEFT London, and again embarked for Jamaica on board the same vessel which conveyed me thither in 1815, and with the same captain also. When we weighed our anchor at Gravesend, before it could be got on board the cable slipped, and down again went the anchor, carrying along with it one of the men who happened to be standing upon it at the moment, and who in conse-quence went plump to the bottom. Luckily the fellow could swim ; so in a few minutes he was on board again, and no harm done. W did not reach the Downs till Sunday the 9th, after experiencing in our passage a severe gale of wind, which broke the bowsprit of a vessel in our sight, but did us no mischief. On arriving in the Downs we found all the flags flying halfmast high, which is a signal of mourning; and we learnt that in a few hours after giving birth to a still-born son, the Princess Charlotte

of Wales had expired at half-past two on Thursday morning.