236 Dark days of Canada. 



" appeared nearly as black as writing ink, from the 

 '' quantity of aslies which had fallen ; they appeared as if 

 '^ those of burnt wood, and not of a heavy sandy nature, 

 *' a strong smell perceptil)le in the air, and a violent head 

 " ache complained of by many on board. 



" Not having a thermometor on board, the temperature 

 " could not be observed ; it did not, although close and 

 *' sultry at times, appear to be remarkable for the season 

 *' of the year. Numbers of small birds flying about, 

 *' seemingly much disturbed. The darkness at 8 a. m. 

 *' to-day, as great as is usual in London in the month of 

 " December at the same hour. From the darkness during 

 " the night, the seamen were obliged to use lanterns with 

 " candles on deck to conduct the navigation of the ship. 



" Longitude 65 48 west, and latitude 49 49 north, — 

 " 4th July; this day the ashes falling in a small 

 " quantity, and the darkness last night excessive again, 

 " so much so that the hand could not be observed while 

 " touching the face ; at half past three p. m. scarcely able 

 *' to see the hour by a watch. The ashes collected on 

 *' deck appeared to be those of burnt wood, but darker 

 " and more heavy than the ashes from a tobacco pipe. — 

 " That collected from the surface of the sea, when dried, 

 " resembled a cake of shoe blacking ; several ships in 

 " different quarters of the gulf and river St. Lawrence 

 " observed the same appearance of darkness, which appears 

 " to have been pretty general, although not to the same 

 " degree. No reason can as yet be assigned for this 

 " extraordinary phenomenon, — it is conjectured by many 

 *' to be the consequence of a volcano, but the ashes by no 

 " means resembled those thrown up by the volcano on St. 

 " Vincent, in the West Indies, some time since." 



