TO RIO DE JANEIRO. 



5 



is in the northern tropic, and diminishes as he recedes towards the southern. 

 From the Cape de Verds, the same favouring gale continued to swell our sails. 

 In traversing this tropic, the heavens present the most beautiful and romantic 

 pictures, and the ocean some of its gayest inhabitants for contemplation. It is 

 here the rapturous scene of the celestial spring. Towards the evening's sun 

 especially, the firmament is seen glowing with purple, orange, and every beau- 

 teous, delicate, and rich colour, of such transparency and matchless brilliancy, 

 that cannot be imagined, as it is never seen in a northern latitude. The diffusion 

 of such an infinite variety of warm tints and other hues, mingled in elegant 

 groups, around the whole horizon, enhances the vigorous power of the sap- 

 phire back-ground, or rather the rich blue ethereal canopy to which they form a 

 deep edging, or grand and resplendent fringe. In vain would the most accom- 

 plished artist attempt its delineation ; he could only look up with admiration 

 and amazement, and, lost in wonder, the hand would be found to refuse gui- 

 dance to his pencil. 



" For who can paint like nature? Can Imagination boast. 

 In all her gay creation, hues like hers]" 



When the beautiful and sublime scenes 1 have ineffectually attempted to give 

 a faint idea of, fade away in the shades of night, and are succeeded by the glory 

 of the stellar hemisphere, turn the eye to the deep, and a blaze of marine illumi- 

 nations, frequently seen around the ship, in some degree compensates for 

 their loss. This effect is occasioned by the small blubber fish floating near 

 the surface, and Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed like these. 

 The brilliant appearance, in these waters, of the bonita, albacore, pilot fish, &c. 

 is only surpassed by the extraordinary change and rapid suffusion of delicate 

 colours succeeding each other during the dying moments of the dolphin. The 

 flying fish are seen in large numbers, taking their flight from the water, alarmed 

 by the approach of the vessel, or the pursuit of the dolphin and other fish, to 

 which they are a prey. The nautilus, commonly called by sailors " the Portu- 

 guese man of war," moves on in slow majesty, with its sail above the water, and 

 secure from the attacks of its neighbours by its poisonous qualities : it lowers 

 and erects its sail at pleasure, which is something like the slice of a large lemon, 

 only that the rind is of a pinkish hue, and the other parts nicely shaded. Here 

 also is the shark, which may be called the destroying demon of the ocean, 

 skulking " about, seeking whom he may devour," with understood horror of 

 purpose both by man and the marine inhabitants. His approach is soon 



