On Saturday, soon after day-break, the lady, peeping out of a hole in the canvas screen, found that the vessel was moving along, by observing the masts pass by the trees on shore; and immediately called out aloud for the captain. We at first attributed her exclamations to her fears; but soon perceived that the ship was actually drifting from the shore, and taking the anchor with her. All hands were called, and the anchor got in, when we fortunately found that the wind, although far from fair, had become moderate enough, to allow us to make sail, and as the day advanced, it became still more propitious. About four in the afternoon, we got round cape Noli, being obliged however to make a few tacks to accomplish it; at this point I heard the sea beating against the rocks, and roaring in the hollow caverns, and could perceive, by the motion of the vessel, that we were near breakers; but so long as our sailors expressed no fears, I felt no apprehension, as I was satisfied, that while they could use their eyes they would run no risk. The character of the Italian, differs widely from that of the British sailor; the former loses his presence of mind by his fears, and makes confusion more confused; the latter, so long as his ship continues unbroken, retains his undaunted spirit, and only contemplates how to apply his energies with most effect.
“⸺E’en should danger round his fenceless head,
Her threatening weight of mountain surges spread,
He, like a whale, amid the tempest’s roar,
Smiles at the storm, nor deigns to wish it o’er.”
After weathering cape Noli, the wind became more favourable, and allowed us to shape our course for Genoa, and had we pursued it properly, I am persuaded that we might have made the lighthouse of that place in four hours, but our captain, in reply to my urgency in this respect, stated, what was certainly not unreasonable, that as his provision was exhausted, if by any chance we should be blown off the coast, the vessel might be lost, or the crew perish from hunger. He therefore determined to put into Noli, off which place we anchored at nine o’clock, when, with a part of his crew, he immediately went on shore to procure provisions, and amuse himself.
Noli was formerly a place of some repute, constituting a republic of fishermen: it is now a mere fishing-town. The castle still remains.
The captain returned between ten and eleven o’clock, and, according to my request, brought with him some bread and wine to increase my little store. The bread had a peculiar sweet taste, which, I was informed, was in consequence of chesnuts being mixed with the wheaten flour. The wine was good, and made us merry before lying down for the night, and we felt happy in the prospect of reaching our destined port on the following day. In the early part of the next morning, on passing Savona, the captain went on shore, to order some new sails, which he stated were to be procured cheaper there than at Genoa, and returned at twelve o’clock; when a contrary breeze having sprung up, he declared his intention of running into that port, as he was confident that we were going to have bad weather, and should be obliged to put back to it at last. Thus we had the mortification of being again detained at the distance of thirty miles from Genoa, and only ten from the port we had left in the morning, after having already occupied six days in a voyage, which, with a fair passage, ought to have been completed in forty-eight hours, and has sometimes been effected in sixteen.
We anchored at Savona about one o’clock, and experienced a delightful afternoon. The port at this place is by nature very fine, and was formerly capable of receiving vessels of war, but has been obstructed materially at its entrance, by the jealousy of the Genoese, under the specious pretence of preventing its harbouring hostile shipping.