198 IIAVANXA. 



appeared higher than the moon ; this iris-band was neai 

 2^ broad, and its summit seemed to rise nearly from 80° 

 to 85*^ above the horizon of the sea. The sky was sin- 

 gularly pure ; there was no appearance of rain ; and 

 what struck him most was, that this phenomenon, which 

 perfectly resembled a lunar rainbow, was not in the 

 direction opposite to the moon. The arch remained sta- 

 tionary, or at least appeared to do so, during eight or 

 ten minutes ; and at the moment when he tried if it were 

 possible to see it by reflection in the mirror of the sex- 

 tant, it began to move and descend, crossing successively 

 the moon and Jupiter. It lacked six minutes of one o'clock 

 when the summit of the arch sank below the horizon. 

 This movement of an arch, coloured like the rainbow, 

 filled with astonishment the sailors who were on watch 

 on the deck. They alleged, as they did on the appearance 

 of every extraordinary meteor, that it denoted wind. 



The travellers anchored at Havanna on the 19th of 

 December. Not being able to find a passage in any neu- 

 tral vessel, Humboldt freighted a Catalonian sloop, lying 

 at Batabano, which was to be at his disposal to take him 

 either to Porto Bello or Carthagena, according as .the 

 gales of Saint Martha should permit. 



The travellers set sail on the 9th of March, somewhat 

 incommoded by the smallness of their vessel, which 

 afforded no sleeping place but upon deck. The cabin 

 received no air or light but from above ; it was merely 

 a hold for provisions, and it was with difiiculty that they 

 could place their instruments in it. 



They were soon in the gulf of Batabano, which was 

 bounded by a low and marshy coast, and looked like a 

 vast desert. The fishing birds, which were generally at 



