NEW MOON. 91 



sky to the north-west. For an hour or two indeed 

 the wind did veer as far round as N. N. W., and 

 tantalized us by vacillating between that and 

 N. N. E. How often did we look up at the 

 mast-head vane, and how often presume to say 

 that it must get to the southward and westward. 

 In the morning (9th Sept.) all was still and 

 motionless, though it seemed that we had drifted 

 a little to the south along the land. At noon, 

 a gentle air might just be felt from the south- 

 west ; and as the breeze grew stronger, the hope 

 deferred which had made our hearts sick was 

 again doubtfully re-admitted. At night there 

 was no longer any pressure, for the ship, which 

 had been forced over considerably to starboard, 

 now righted ; and this joyful fact the least san- 

 guine construed into an omen of a speedy re- 

 lease. But the next morning (September 10th) 

 the capricious wind first drew more to the south, 

 bringing with it snow, then veered round again 

 to N. N. W.j and finally fell nearly calm. The 

 only perceptible variation was the welcome sight 

 of two or three streaks of water within a few 

 yards from the ship. The weather now became 

 unusually mild, the thermometer being at 35° + , 

 and as there was to be a new moon at midnight, 

 we fixed on that event as the harbinger of a 

 change. The hour arrived, but not the prognos- 



