TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 



31 



doves, a small sparrow-hawk, a goat-sucker, sea- 

 swallows, and fly- catchers ; all birds which belong 

 to the south European continent, and partly com- 

 mence from hence their annual migrations over 

 the sea. It is, perhaps, from this circumstance, 

 that the neighbouring promontory of Sicily derives 

 its name of Capo Passaro. The superstition of the 

 Venetian sailors looked upon the doves as a token 

 of a happy voyage : the goat-sucker, on the con- 

 trary, was pursued by them as a bird of ill omen, 

 and it found no secure asylum on the rigging. 



On the following morning we were already forty- 

 two leagues to the west of Malta, when the wind 

 suddenly settled in the N. N. W. It soon in- 

 creased, and the waves ran so high, that it was im- 

 possible to keep the course to the south-west. 

 The frigate rolled so violently, that in a short time 

 the tackling was materially damaged ; every thing 

 movable was thrown backwards and forwards ; 

 and it seemed dangerous longer to expose the ship 

 to the fury of the waves. As the wind besides 

 threatened to continue, and the captain, taught 

 by former experience in these seas, foresaw that 

 perseverance would only cause delay, he resolved 

 to put back to Malta, there to wait for a more 

 favourable wind. After having been buffetted for 

 some hours by the storm, we accordingly changed 

 our course, and the wind being now in the right 

 quarter, we speedily arrived off Malta, and sailed 

 round the little and great Gozzo, and at two o'clock 



