On the 22d, at four o’clock in the morning, I weighed and made sail in company with the Swallow and Prince Frederick, and had soon the mortification to find that the Swallow was a very bad sailer.

We proceeded in our voyage, without any remarkable incident, till Sunday the seventh of September, when, about eight o’clock in the morning, we saw the island of Porto Santo, bearing west; and about noon saw the east-end of the island of Madeira.

About five o’clock we ran between this end of the island and the Deserters. On the side next the Deserters is a low flat island, and near it a needle rock; the side next to Madeira is full of broken rocks, and for that reason it is not safe to come within less than two miles of it.

At six in the evening we ancored in Madeira Road, about two-thirds of a mile from the shore, in 24 fathom with a muddy bottom: about eight the Swallow and Prince Frederick also came to an anchor; and I sent an officer on shore to the Governor, to let him know that I would salute him, if he would return an equal number of guns, which he promised to do; the next morning therefore, at six o’clock, I saluted him with thirteen guns, and he returned thirteen as he had promised.

Having taken in a proper quantity of water at this place, with four pipes and ten puncheons of wine, some fresh beef, and a large quantity of onions, we weighed anchore on the 12th, and continued our voyage.

Voyaging Accounts