I left Breadsall Priory in Derbyshire on Sunday morning November 20th 1808, and slept that night and the following at Birmingham. On Tuesday the 22nd, with my friend Mr Theo. Galton, I proceeded to Falmouth, where on Saturday the 26th we found the packet for Corunna was about to sail in two hours. Being provided with passports from the Secretary of State's Office, and having paid 20 guineas each for our passage to Corunna, we embarked in the Express Packet, Capt. Sampson, and weighed anchor at 10 o'clock the same morning.

Our society on this voyage consisted of a wellinformed man, a Mr Arbuthnot, who had formerly held some civil appointment at Ceylon; Mr Clarke, who had belonged to the Army, and now went as a Volunteer into the Spanish Service; and Mr Adey, a young gentleman on his way to join Sir J. Moore's regiment, the 52nd. T. G. and myself now became more acquainted every hour; and on this voyage we formed a most sincere friendship, which increased and strengthened as our dispositions were better known to each other.

The wind was favourable; and in the space of a day and night we were in the midst of the Bay of Biscay. Here it was we first experienced a heavy sea; and the waves running mountains high now raised us above, and now appeared to engulf our ship in the bosom of the deep.