278 TRAVELS ON THE AMAZON. {August 



many new and beautiful forms from those wild regions ; every 

 one of which would be endeared to me by the recollections 

 they would call up, — which should prove that I had not wasted 

 the advantages I had enjoyed, and would give me occupation 

 and amusement for many years to come ! And now every- 

 thing was gone, and I had not one specimen to illustrate the 

 unknown lands I had trod, or to call back the recollection of 

 the wild scenes I had beheld ! But such regrets I knew were 

 vain, and I tried to think as little as possible about what might 

 have been, and to occupy myself with the state of things which 

 actually existed. 



On the 22nd of August we saw three water-spouts, the first 

 time I had beheld that curious phenomenon. I had much 

 wished once to witness a storm at sea, and I was soon grati- 

 fied. 



Early in September we had a very heavy gale. The baro- 

 meter had fallen nearly half an inch during the night ; and in 

 the morning it was blowing strong, and we had a good deal of 

 canvas up when the captain began to shorten sail ; but before 

 it could be taken in, four or five sails were blown to pieces, 

 and it took several hours to get the others properly stowed. 

 By the afternoon we were driving along under double-reefed 

 topsails. The sea was all in a foam, and dashed continually 

 over us. By night a very heavy sea was up, and we rolled 

 about fearfully, the water pouring completely over the bul- 

 warks, deluging the decks, and making the old ship stagger 

 like a drunken man. We passed an uncomfortable night, for 

 a great sea broke into the cabin skylight and wetted us all, and 

 the ship creaked and shook, and plunged so madly, that I 

 feared something would give way, and we should go to the 

 bottom after all ; all night, too, the pumps were kept going, for 

 she leaked tremendously, and it was noon the next day before 

 she was got free of water. The wind had now abated, and we 

 soon had fine weather again, and all hands were busy bending 

 new sails and repairing the old ones. 



We caught at different times several dolphins, which were 

 not bad eating. I did not see so much to admire in the 

 colours of the dying dolphin ; they are not to be compared 

 with the colours of the living fish seen in the blue transparent 

 watef. 



We were now getting rather short of provisions, owing to 



