3 
tions :—On the night of the 2d December a curious 
optical phenomenon presented itself. ‘The full moon 
was very high. At 45 minutes before its passage 
over the meridian, a great arch suddenly appeared: 
of prismatic colour, but gloomy. I[t was higher 
than the moon and of a breadthof nearly two degrees. 
It remained stationary for several minutes ; after 
which it gradually descended and sunk below the 
horizon. The sailors were filled with astonishment 
at the moving arch, which they supposed to an- 
nounce wind. Bonpland and several passengers saw 
besides, at the distance of a quarter of a mile, a 
small flame, which ran on the surface of the sea 
towards the south-west and illuminated the atmo- 
sphere. On the 4th and 6th they encountered rough 
weather, with heavy rain, accompanied by thunder, 
and were in considerable perilon the bank. On 
the 19th they reached Havanna aiter a boisterous 
passage. 
The retinues with which the Indians sallied out 
“to the Islands, for their annual fishsfeastings and 
barbecoes as they were called, may be conceived 
from that very picturesque account which Columbus 
gave of a cacique whose principality was Cabrita, 
and the neighbouring isles, narrated by the cura de 
los palacios. On the 22d July 1494, the discovery 
ships stood across from Cuba, to complete the cir- 
eumnavigation of the island of Jamaica. On the 
Southern coast, the variable winds and evening 
showers obliged them to anchor under the land for 
the night, and proceed in their course in the morning. 
