EPISODES 369 



who, with inward delight, gaze upon the melancholy 

 spectacle. 



Our light bark shivered like a leaf the instant the blast 

 reached her sides. We thought she had gone over; but 

 the next instant she was on the shore. And now in con- 

 templation of the sublime and awful storm, I gazed around 

 me. The waters drifted like snow; the tough mangroves 

 hid their tops amid their roots, and the loud roaring of the 

 waves driven among them blended with the howl of the 

 tempest. It was not rain that fell ; 'the masses of water 

 flew in a horizontal direction, and where a part of my body 

 was exposed I felt as if a smart blow had been given me on 

 it. But enough — in half an hour it was over. The pure 

 blue sky once more embellished the heavens, and although 

 it was now quite night, we considered our situation a 

 good one. 



The crew and some of the party spent the night in the 

 boat. The pilot, myself, and one of my assistants took to 

 the heart of the mangroves, and having found high land, 

 we made a fire as well as we could, spread a tarpauling, 

 and fixing our insect bars over us, soon forgot in sleep the 

 horrors that had surrounded us. 



Next day the " Marion " proceeded on her cruise, and 

 in a few more days, having anchored in another safe har- 

 bor, we visited other Keys, of which I will, with your leave, 

 give you a short account. 



The deputy-collector of Indian Isle gave me the use of 

 his pilot for a few weeks, and I was the more gratified by 

 this, that besides knowing him to be a good man, and a 

 perfect sailor, I was now convinced that he possessed a 

 gr^eat knowledge of the habits of birds, and could without 

 loss of time lead me to their haunts. We were a hundred 

 miles or so farther to the south. Gay May, like a playful 

 babe, gambolled on the bosom of his mother Nature, and 

 everything was replete with life and joy. The pilot had 

 spoken to me of some birds which I was very desirous of 



VOL. II. — 24 



