14 IXCIDENTS OF THE VOYAGE. 



and was curving round the low Pole-star ; the Moon 

 and Jupiter had set. Presently Venus rose from 

 the sea, enveloped in a slight haze, and looking, 

 when a few degrees above the horizon, exactly like 

 a light-house, but glowing like a torch as she rapidly 

 mounted up the sky. About six o'clock I went 

 aloft and sat in the maintop to see the sun rise 

 free from distraction. It was a splendid sight : the 

 gradual lighting up of the eastern quarter of the 

 heavens, and the refulgent gilding of the few clouds 

 that gathered there, were most gorgeous, and went 

 on increasing in splendour every moment; till at 

 length the sun leaped up " in his clearness," and 

 irradiated the solitary ocean far and wide. The whole 

 scene was indescribably beautiful; and though its 

 elements are common to all parts of the earth, yet 

 the effect was something new, and produced a peculiar 

 emotion of delight ; a sort of thrilling feeling, some- 

 what like that which the deep tones of a fine band of 

 music will often excite. 



There is not a more pleasant situation on board 

 a ship than the maintop in fair weather. To take 

 a book up for an hour's quiet reading, or to sit witli 

 our back against the topmast shrouds, and enjoy our 

 own meditations ; or to gaze upon the vast expanse 

 of ocean all spread out around and beneath us ; or 

 to mark under the lifting sail the double hillock of 

 foam tossed off by the vessel's prow breasting the 

 waves ; or to watch the curling of the dark eddies 

 beneath the stern till they subside into the long 

 wake, which, like a line of silver, we leave behind 

 upon the sea, — all these are delightful to a passenger 



