At sunset, the captain provided each of us with a straw mattress for our repose; my companions, accordingly, laid themselves down for the night on the floor of the cabin, but I placed mine in preference, on the bench upon which I had been sitting.
We glided on smoothly until midnight, when the wind changed to the eastward, accompanied by small rain. The master expecting bad weather, now bore up for a small port called Cerf, where we anchored about three o’clock in the morning; at seven, we landed at the town of Cerf, situated on the side of so steep a hill, that the streets consist of continued flights of steps. We were conducted to a small auberge, the best however in the place, where we got some hot water, and refreshed ourselves, after our miserable night, with tea, cold meat, &c. of which we had been cautious to lay in good stores before leaving Nice. The care of my friends had supplied myself with no less than a couple of large tongues, a dozen loaves, smoked herrings, coffee, sugar, wines, &c. I name these particulars, because their kind consideration, in the sequel, proved important to me.
After breakfast, the whole of our party, except the Italian lady and myself, set off on mules for Genoa, we having determined to remain in hopes of the wind shortly becoming favourable, in which case, we doubted not, by pursuing our original plan, still to reach Genoa before them, and avoid a difficult and expensive journey by land.
To amuse myself in the interim, I visited the church, and also a miserable auberge, where our captain took me. We here found a number of low-lived fellows, some playing at cards, and others smoking, drinking, and quarrelling. On my return to the auberge, I found the Italian lady solitary, and out of spirits, in consequence of our detention. At five o’clock, we were asked to take refreshment, and informed, that they could give us soup and macaroni, but, on tasting the former, it was composed chiefly of water, with some onions and vermicelli, and a large quantity of oil floating upon the surface; this fare I could not relish, and determined to wait until we returned on board, as we intended to do shortly, in order to take advantage of any favourable change in the weather, and when I could avail myself of my own stores.
After returning to the vessel, and making a hearty meal, we lay down upon our mattresses as on the preceding night, myself on the bench, the lady on the floor, and the captain and crew in the forepart of the vessel.
The wind, which throughout the night had continued fresh, in the morning became more moderate and favourable; soon after day-light we weighed anchor, stood out of the harbour, and beat up along shore during the day, making what sailors call a long leg and a short one, or perhaps what will be more intelligible, a long tack and a short one, the wind being three points on the right side of our noses; about evening it freshened, and was fed by small rain. A Swedish brig passed us at two p.m. which was running out of the gulf of Genoa, with a fine fair wind. About eight in the evening, the wind had increased in such a degree, that the captain thought it necessary to seek shelter for the night, but it was become so dark, that in running for a place he had been accustomed to, the vessel took ground, under the lee of some small uninhabited island. The whole crew, including himself, now made such a hue-and-cry, that one would have thought, nothing less than immediate destruction was to be the result of this mistake; however, we made shift to secure the vessel to the rocks, with an anchor, and it was fortunate that we succeeded in effecting this, for the wind soon increased to a tremendous gale, with heavy rain, which continued through the present night, and the following day and night also.
I had now plenty of occupation in calming the fears of my companion, who, as may be imagined, became dreadfully alarmed; partly with this intention, and partly from necessity, I changed my mattress from the bench to the floor; for the former station was too much exposed to the cold wind and rain, to make it longer tenable. Our cabin was not a close room, but covered over with a tilted roof like a waggon, and had temporary canvas screens, at each end, to secure us from the weather.
At length I had the pleasure of succeeding in my attempts to restore the lady’s confidence, and she afterward amply compensated me by her cheerful manners, and agreeable conversation. Sterne may dilate upon the delicacy of his situation by land, when shut up for eight hours in a room, half as large as our whole ship, and a third person in an adjoining closet, with a widow lady of thirty, who could coolly draw up articles to regulate their conduct; but what was his case compared with mine, enclosed, as I was, for two nights and a day in the cabin of a vessel, and scarcely within hearing of a living soul, with a young married female of five-and-twenty, and whom my imagination might lead me to suppose beautiful as an Houri. The whole of this time passed away like a night to me; for as it was cold, we shut ourselves up close, to keep out the wind and rain; like our sailors on the northern expedition, during this state of confinement, it made no difference, whether we dined in the night or day, for it was just as easy for me to serve out our provisions in the former, as in the latter; and with respect to sleep, I think I had the best of it in the day-time, as the lady’s fears were less on the qui vive, for whenever the sea at night struck us a little harder than usual, she would cry out in terror, “Monsieur! Monsieur! nous sommes contre les rochers,” and I must have had indeed a heart of rock, had I not poured in all possible consolation: I had the pleasure indeed of thinking that the assurances of my animated tongue, were not less serviceable to her, than the enjoyment of my lingua mortua, which no doubt contributed very efficaciously to support her strength and spirits, for I soon found by the lightness of the basket, that her own stores were insufficient for so prolonged a voyage, or as sailors would express it, that she was in danger of experiencing a southerly wind in the bread-bag.
It was true that this was Friday, but my fair companion was not in a situation to think of maigre day, even had it been Vendrédi saint itself. I believe the influence of the French Revolution, has contributed materially to lessen the superstitions of the Catholic countries, which have been exposed to its action. I have heard a French officer remark, that for his part he had met with a sufficient number of maigre days during the war, and could now afford no more, but must live gras to make up for what he had lost. The priests still contrive to make many women, children, and servants, observe their ordinances, but the men have ventured, pretty generally, to throw off their restraint.