THE ARCHIPELAGO OF CHAUSEY. 59 



from that western coast of France, where a fine day, 

 even in ordinary seasons, is a thing of very rare oc- 

 currence. I scarcely saw the sun above half a dozen 

 times, during the three months of my sojourn. Either 

 rain or mist accompanied me on nearly all my rambles. 

 I often returned home so thoroughly drenched, that, 

 from want of a sufficient supply of clothing, I was 

 obliged to remain in bed while my clothes were 

 drying before the fire of the farm-house kitchen. 

 The south-west wind, which beat full upon my door, 

 had so completely loosened all the joints, that in the 

 slightest storm, I was inundated. A few days after 

 my arrival, I awoke one morning with six inches of 

 water under my bed : in order to avoid being entirely 

 surrounded, I was obliged to cut a hole in the most 

 sloping part of the floor, and by means of this pre- 

 caution I had for the future a river instead of a lake 

 in my room. All my steel instruments were covered 

 with rust ; the metallic mirror of my camera lucida 

 was entirely ruined, and I had some difficulty in 

 protecting the brass work of my microscope. The 

 salt melted in my salt-cellar ; and a pound of sugar, 

 which had been forgotten for a fortnight at the 

 bottom of my cupboard, was converted into syrup. 



But these disagreeables were soon forgotten, if 

 I were able, at the spring-tide of new or full moon, 

 to proceed in Master Hyacinthe's boat to the islands 

 of Enseigne or Corbieres, or to Ile-aux-Oiseaux. 

 The low ledges of rock which I wished to explore 

 could only be reached by long and often most tedious 

 detours, in which I was obliged to cross banks of 

 slimy mud, at the risk of sinking knee-deep, or 



