158 iSTUDIES OF NATURE. 



Governof, and thus addrefled him ; " Sir, deep 

 " founds have, all night long, been heard in the 

 " mountain. In the woods, the leaves are vio- 

 " lently agitated, though there is not a breath of 

 *' wind flirring. The fea-birds are flocking, in 

 " crowds, to take refuge on the land ; furely, all 

 " thefe figns announce the approach of a hurri- 

 " cane." " Well, my friend," replied the Go- 

 vernor, " we are well prepared for it, and, furely, 

 " the velTcl is fo likewife." 



In truth, the whole appearance of Nature pre- 

 faged an approaching tempeft. The clouds which 

 were diflinguifhable in the zenith, were, at their 

 centre, awfully black, and their edges of a copper 

 colour. The air refounded with the fcreams of 

 the paillencu, the frigat, the water-cutter, and a 

 multitude of other fowls, which, notwithftanding 

 the gloom of the atmofphere, flocked from all 

 points' of the horizon, to feek a flielter in the 

 ifland. 



Toward nine o'clock in the morning, fearful 

 noifes were heard from the Sea, as if torrents of 

 water, mingled with the roaring thunder, were 

 rufhing from the mountain-tops. The whole com- 

 pany exclaimed : *' There's the hurricane 1" and, 

 at the fame moment, an awful whirlwind carried 

 off the fog, which overfpread the Ifle of Amber, 



and 



