THE WINDS OF THE OCEAN 77 



big ropes like this ? " the gentle native strives to 

 explain to him the incidence of the awful hurricane, 

 when sea and sky seem to meet and the whole surface 

 of the islands appears in danger of being swept off 

 into space. Not that the South Pacific hurricane is 

 any more deadly in its force than the East or West 

 Indian variety, but these low-lying coral-reefs feel its 

 impact more, since for them there is no shelter. The 

 mind can hardly conceive the horror of great darkness 

 which falls upon the islander, whose habitation is only 

 a few feet raised above the surface of the sea, when the v 

 unimaginably furious hurricane and its attendant 

 waves come sweeping through the gloom upon his 

 tiny patch of sand, moored safely, it is true, as far 

 as the holding of its place in mid ocean is concerned, 

 but liable to be swept clean by the besom of destruc- 

 tion surging over its surface. There are many islands, 

 of course, which are not so disadvantageous^ situated. 

 Being of volcanic origin and high in places, the 

 trembling inhabitants may and do take refuge in 

 holes and caves in the rocks, hiding there in safety 

 until the awful crash of celestial warfare has subsided, 

 and peace once more smiles benignly over the sun- 

 gilded ocean. 



These aberrations of the normal flow of the South- 

 East Trade are, I think, quite sufficient to deprive the 

 Pacific of any real claim to its name as against the 

 South Atlantic, but it is not until we get into the 

 North Pacific that we find how serious are the divaga- 

 tions from fine weather indulged in by this peaceful 

 ocean. It is with seamen generally an axiom that 

 when within the tropics, either north or south, you 

 may bend your fine-weather suit of sails, because, 



