THE FLAMINGO 167 



small boat to meet us, but scarcely had he boarded the 

 ' ' Gloria ' ' when we were attacked by a furious cyclonic rain- 

 storm, which, accompanied by violent wind, would have 

 landed us on a neighboring reef had it not been for the sea- 

 manship of our captain, who quickly got over three anchors 

 with many fathoms of stout cable. As it was, two spongers 

 collided with us, one afterward going ashore; Mr. 

 Matthews ' boat went to the bottom, and Peter, who was off 

 shore in a small boat, was capsized, but thanks to low tide 

 and a friendly bar, was spared to lead us to the Flamingos. 

 For a short time, so suddenly had the storm arisen, the 

 occasion was not without excitement. 



The approach of the storm was both beautiful and inter- 

 esting. One heavy shower was seen advancing from the 

 north, another from the south. As they passed, the one 

 from the north going farther in shore, the great drops of 

 water suggested beaded portieres. Soon after a rotary 

 motion was developed, the pattering drops on the sea 

 chasing one another like figures in a "merry-go-round." 

 The decreasing circle advanced rapidly over the water in 

 our direction, apparently stopping directly above the vessel 

 when a proper perspective for further observation seemed 

 to be wanting. 



Six inches of rain fell in two hours, arousing grave 

 doubts for the safety of the Flamingos, whose nests, always 

 placed in the semi -flooded "swash", would, we feared, be 

 flooded by this downpour ; but we tried to believe that the 

 storm had not reached that part of the island. 



The following morning our voyage was resumed. With 

 Peter calling the course from bow or rigging, we threaded 

 narrow channels and crossed broad flats, when tide and 

 wind permitted and, at the end of three days, (we were now 

 twelve days out from Miami), anchored and in a small boat 

 continued the journey in water too shallow for the schooner. 

 Hours of rowing up endless creeks, flowing through a 

 depressing waste of marl and stubby mangroves, brought 



