SORROW RELIEVED BY STUDY.
In this way they continued cruising along the beautiful Mediterranean, but perpetually exposed to danger. Now they come within sight of the high lands of Malaga, and shortly they fly away from some pirate on the broad sea. Now they are quietly sailing along under the warm and sunny skies of an Andalusian climate, and again, in the course of a few hours, are driven by the current and tempest far away to the south-west. Finally, after a tedious passage, the ship was moored, on Friday evening, November 23, in the harbor of Alicante. After considerable difficulty and delay because the city authorities were afraid of disease being brought into the place by the crews of the ships, they were at length allowed to go on shore. Here melancholy tidings awaited our voyager. By a Salem vessel that had arrived at Cadiz, news came of the death of his wife some time in the preceding October. He made no complaints, however, but quietly sought to interest his mind in his favorite pursuit of astronomy. He always did so whenever any trouble came upon him. In this way he consoled himself, and was not a burden to others by allowing his sorrows to disturb them.
INSOLENCE OF PRIVATEERS.
January 24, 1799, having finished loading the ship with brandy, they would have sailed, had not the wind prevented. On February 11th they were still detained by head winds; but now, to their discomfort, they saw a French privateer cruising off in the bay at the mouth of the harbor. It was evidently waiting to intrap some one of the American vessels. On the next day the daring of the privateer commander arose to such a height, that he rowed in his barge all around the American fleet, and insulted some of the seamen. Towards evening of February 13, Mr. Bowditch narrowly escaped serious difficulty with them, as the privateer barge and the American boat coming from shore came in contact; but the former received the most damage, and Mr. Bowditch got safely on board the Astræa. On the 14th, the brigand of the sea departed, and his ship was soon seen gradually losing itself in the distance over the blue Mediterranean.
TO INDIA.
On the next day the convoy sailed. It consisted of five vessels, and by twenty-four hours of favorable breezes they were brought within thirty miles of the coast of Barbary; and, after some trouble in consequence of being obliged to take in tow those of the convoy which sailed more slowly, the Astræa was fairly out from the Straits of Gibraltar by February 24, that is, three days from the time of leaving Alicante.
During half the passage home, some of the convoy were in company with them. They had rough seas; but on the 6th of April, at ten o’clock at night, Mr. Bowditch arrived in Salem harbor, having been absent nearly nine months.
This visit to Spain was of service to him in many respects. He there obtained many books on astronomy and navigation, and some celebrated works on history, all of which he studied with care on his voyage home. He, moreover, had gained some knowledge by his visit to the Observatory.
STUDIES DURING THE VOYAGE.
He was not destined to remain at home a long while; but the Astræa having been sold to a merchant in Boston, Mr. Bowditch sailed with Captain Prince from that city on the 23d of the following July, bound for India. It was a long, and to most persons a tedious voyage that he was about to undertake; but to Mr. Bowditch it was the means of improvement. While the ship was sailing quietly along, or sinking lazily from one swell of the sea to another, or being tossed about by the most violent gale, Mr. Bowditch was still laboring at his books. During this voyage, as during the preceding, he did not perform much duty, except when in port, and, consequently, on board ship he had a great deal of time to be devoted to study. And he worthily filled every moment with reading and study to improve himself or others. During this voyage, as in previous ones, he taught the sailors practical navigation. Very few incidents worth mentioning occurred during the voyage; but on the 15th of September, 1799, we find the following in his Journal: “The ship in sight yesterday soon proved to be an English Guineaman. As we came up with him he fired a gun to leeward, which we returned. As we came nearer, he fired one to windward. We returned the compliment and nearly hulled him. When within hail, he ordered our boat out, which Captain Prince refused, telling him to come on board if he wanted anything. Finally, he requested Captain Prince to haul out our boat, as his was calking, which we could plainly see. Mr. Carlton went on board with the clearance, and the surgeon came aboard of us, and, after examining our papers and acting in a manner becoming a Guineaman, they made sail.”