Dark days of Canada. 235 



" Vcstcrday morning at six a. m. the weather dark and 

 *' cloudy, witli a few drops of rain falling ; winds high and 

 " variable, chiefly from the eastward, and through the 

 " dav carrying all sail, the sails however of very little use, 

 " from a very heavy swell of the sea from the westward, 

 " which rendered the pitching of the ship very great, and 

 " nearly endangered the carrying away of the masts and 

 " vards ; towards evening tlie swell abated ; during the 

 " day the clouds appeared to becoming with great rapidity 

 " from the nortluranl ; horizon and atmosphere thick and 

 " hazv ; at night the darknes excessive, the masts and 

 " rigging scarcely visible from deck ; about nine p. m. a 

 " sort of dust or .ashes commenced falling and continued 

 " during the night; towards the morning the whole 

 " atmosphere ap|)eared red and fiery to a wonderful degree, 

 " and the moon then at the full not visible, and the 

 " appearance through the cabin windows and crystal 

 " light? on the deck singular in the extreme, as if sur- 

 " rounded by a mass of fire, the sea sparkling much and 

 *' in a manner not usual in these latitudes. 



" At half-past seven in the morning, candles lighted ia 

 " the cabin, and the hour by a watch at nine scarcely 

 " visible, llie flame of the candle burning of a bright 

 " bluish white colour, and the fire in the cook-house the 

 " same, tin- wind dying axvaij to a dead ('aim. Towards 

 " noon to-day, the atmosphere resumed something of its 

 " natural a|)pearance, and the sun visible, but red and 

 " fiery, as in the winter season, as if seen through the 

 •' darkened glass of a cpiadrant, and by degrees becoming 

 " more of a yellow colour. Weather ha/y and sultry, a 

 ♦' dead calm, and the sea scarcely agitated. 'I'lie sea 

 *' covered with a»>he«, and a bucket v( water taken up 



