216 NARRATIVE OF A JOURNEY 



until the brig cleared the reef, and her sails had hlled with the 

 fresh trade wind. They thought it then time to withdraw, and 

 putting their noses together after their fashion, they bade their 

 friends an affectionate farewell, and without hesitation dashed 

 into the sea, and made directly for shore. I thought of blue 

 sharks, tiger sharks, and shovel-noses, and would not have run 

 such a risk for all the wealth of all the islands. 



April 5th. — Yesterday we had an inlding of a storm. Some 

 rain fell in the morning early; and at noon, while sitting in the 

 cabin, I was startled by hearing a flapping, as if all the sails in 

 the ship were being torn to pieces, and a roaring not unlike the 

 escape of steam from the boiler of a boat. Upon ascending to 

 the deck, I observed the whole ocean covered with glittering 

 white foam, the surges boiling, and dashing, and breaking over 

 our vessel as she labored heavily amongst them. The sails 

 were flapping about most unmanageably. The studding-sails, — 

 all of which had been set before the storm, — were immediately 

 taken in, and hands were sent aloft to furl the remaining can- 

 vass, until in a very short time we were scudding under bare 

 poles, and defying the utmost fury of the elements. In about 

 half an hour, the storm abated, and, soon after, entirely ceased ; 

 the wind became steady and fresh ; the white folds of our can- 

 vass were again let loose, and away we went before a " smashing 

 breeze" at the rate of ten knots an hour. 



\2tli. — The mate has several times spoken of having seen 

 large flocks of a small species of land bird sailing around the ves- 

 sel. As it is scarcely possible they could have emigrated from 

 the distant continent, Captain L. supposes that they are residents 

 of a small uninhabited island, somewhere in these latitudes, which 

 has long been supposed to exist, but has i:iever been found. He 

 who may hereafter be so fortunate as to discover this land, will 

 probably be rendered a rich man for the remainder of his days, 

 for it doubtless abounds in seal, which never having been inter- 



