PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 5 



his beams withdrew, the mountain was thrown for- 

 ward, until it appeared not half its real distance. 

 Then followed a succession of tints, from the glow- {S 

 ing colours of a tropical sky, to the sombre purple 

 of the deepest valleys ; varying in intensity with 

 eveiy intermediate range, until a landscape was pro- 

 duced, which, for beauty of outline, and brilliancy 

 of colour, is rarely surpassed ; and we acknowledged 

 ourselves amply repaid for our days of suspense. 

 Night soon closed upon the view ; and, directing 

 our compass to a well-known headland, we took our 

 last look at the island, which was the only one of 

 the Canary groupe we had seen : not on account of 

 our distance from them, but owing to that mass of 

 clouds which " navigators behold incessantly piled 

 over this Archipelago." The breeze was fair, and 

 we rolled on, from day to day, with our awnings 

 spread ; passing rapidly over the ground with a 

 fresh trade-wind, and daily increasing the heat and 

 humidity of our atmosphere : amused, occasionally 

 by day, with shoals of flying-fish starting from our 

 path, followed by their rapacious pursuers ; and by 

 night, with the phosphoric flashing of the sea, and 

 the gradual rising of constellations not visible in our 

 native country. 



Toward the termination of the trade, the wind 

 veered gradually to the eastward, and became fresh, 

 until noon of the 15th, when it suddenly ceased, 

 and the sea, foaming like breakers, beneath a black 

 thunder-cloud, warned us to take in our lighter 

 sails. We were presently taken aback with a vio- 

 lent gust of wind from the southward, and from 

 that time lost the north-east trade. As we ap- 

 proached its limit, the atmosphere gradually became 



