THUNDER-STORM. 59 



after dark when we reached so far. We had passed 

 the watering boats some distance further down on 

 their way to the ship. Our sudden meeting in the 

 dark on the lonelv river, had a singular and romantic 

 effect. Being anxious to join the gig, we pushed 

 on, and at midnight were surprised by a loud call 

 from Captain Wickham, who lay beneath the 

 shadow of a high bank. It was a strange sound, 

 this English hail, to hear echoed in these wild 

 hills, where only the shrill cry of the savage had 

 been borne on the blast before ! 



I was sorry to find, that the tide did not at present 

 rise sufficient to admit the large boats into the fresh 

 water, so that getting a load would have been a very 

 long operation, had it not been for a tremendous 

 fall of rain that followed a thunder-storm, deluging 

 every pool, and at once affording the means of fill- 

 ino- the casks. This storm beojan at S. E. and 

 drew round by east to N. W., from which quarter it 

 blew strong for an hour. The torrents of rain 

 lasted two hours, and cooled the air so rapidly, as 

 in that time to reduce the thermometer from 92" to 

 82°. This change was so sudden, that it made 

 those who felt it shiver as if it were the depth of 

 winter, and rush into the river water to keep them- 

 selves warm, 



November 4. — Both boats proceeded up the river 

 at davliofht. We started from the end of Short 

 Reach, trending E. N. E., and about four miles 

 within the range of hills, on the S. E. side of the 



