About 2.30 a. m., a vessel was perceived, which, by its lights, was made out to be a man-of-war. We now burned a port fire which was not merely replied to, but accompanied by signalling the number of the Caroline. She was steering exactly our own course, and after having had to struggle with calms on nearing the coast, we cast anchor together, in the roads of Funchal, in 32 fathoms, sandy bottom, immediately South of the Loo Rock, a singular-looking, lofty, conical rock, which marks the best anchorage for large ships. The U. S. corvette, Dale, lay in our vicinity, and sent a boat on board with an officer to extend to us the usual greetings, after which she saluted the Commodore's standard with a salute of thirteen guns,[11] which, as is the etiquette, we returned, gun for gun. We now had the pleasure of hearing that the small-pox had entirely disappeared on board the corvette Caroline, those attacked being now in a fair way of convalescence, while on board the Novara, the health of the ship's company was eminently satisfactory.
[11] Commodores of other nations receive only eleven guns by way of salute.
LOO ROCK (MADEIRA).
IV.
Madeira.