UP THE ISLANDS. 297 



rose, or seemed to rise, the Cordillera of tlie Main, and the 

 hills where jaguars lie. Canopus blazed high astern, and 

 Fomalhaut below him to the west, as if bidding us a kind 

 farewell. Orion and Aldebaran spangled the zenith. The 

 young moon lay on her back in the far west, thin and pale, 

 over Cumana and the Cordillera, with Venus, ragged and 

 red with earth mist, just beneath. And low ahead, with the 

 pointers horizontal, glimmered the cold pole-star, for which 

 we were steerinf^, out of the summer into the winter once 

 more. We grew chill as we looked at him ; and shuddered, it 

 may be, cowered for a moment, at the thought of " Xifel- 

 heim," the home of frosts and fogs, towards which we were 

 bound. 



However, we were not yet out of the Tropics. We had 

 still nearlv a fortnidit before us in which to feel sure there 

 was a sun in heaven ; a fortnii^ht more of the " warm 

 champagne " atmosphere which was giving fresh life and 

 health to us both. And up the islands we went, wiser, but 

 not sadder, than when we went down them ; casting wistful 

 eyes; though, to windward, for there away and scarcely out 

 of sight lay Tobago, to which we had a most kind invi- 

 tation; and gladly would we have looked at that beautiful 

 and fertile little spot, and have pictured to ourselves Eobinson 

 Crusoe and ^lan Friday pacing along the coral beach in one 

 of its little southern coves. jMore wistfullv still did we look 



