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STILL BECALMED. 



On the 4th of June we were still in the same plight, although the cur- 

 rents of the Gulf had borne us to a great distance from the place where, 

 as I have informed you, we had amused ourselves with catching Dolphins. 

 These currents are certainly very singular, for they carried us hither and 

 thither, at one time rendering us apprehensive of drifting on the coast of 

 Florida, at another threatening to send us to Cuba. Sometimes a slight 

 motion in the air revived our hopes, swelled our sails a little, and carried 

 us through the smooth waters like a skater gliding on ice ; but in a few 

 hours it was again a dead calm. 



One day several small birds, after alighting on the spars, betook them- 

 selves to the deck. One of them, a female Rice Bunting, drew our at- 

 tention more particularly, for, a few moments after her arrival, there came 

 down, as if in her wake, a beautiful Peregrine Falcon. The plunderer 

 hovered about for a while, then stationed himself on the end of one of 

 the yard-arms, and suddenly pouncing on the little gleaner of the mea- 

 dows, clutched her and carried her off in exultation. But, Reader, mark 

 the date, and judge besides of my astonishment when I saw the Falcon 

 feeding on the Finch while on wing, precisely with the same ease and 

 composure as the Mississippi Kite might shew while devouring high in 

 air a Red-throated Lizard, swept from one of the magnificent trees of the 

 Louisiana woods. 



There was a favourite pet on board, belonging to our Captain, and 

 which was nothing more nor less than the female companion of a cock, in 

 other words, a common hen. Some liked her because she now and then 

 dropped a fresh egg, — a rare article at sea, even on board the Delos ; 

 others, because she exhibited a pleasing simphcity of character ; others 

 again, because, when they had pushed her overboard, it gave them plea- 

 sure to see the poor thing in terror strike with her feet, and strive to reach 

 her floating home, which she would never have accomplished, however, 

 had it not been for the humane interference of our Captain, Mr Joseph 

 Hatch of Kennebunk. Kind, good-hearted man ! when, several weeks 

 after, the same pet hen accidentally flew overboard, as we were scudding 

 along at a furious rate, I thought I saw a tear stand in his eye, as she 



