84 



TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 



single animals, did not present the splendid sight 

 which had gratified us in the Mediterranean. The 

 greater was our pleasure that the stronger and 

 more favourable the wind became, and the more 

 fapidly the ship sailed, the sea- sickness, from 

 which so many of us had suffered during our pas- 

 sage through the Mediterranean, gradually dis-- 

 appeared, and we were all able to remain upon 

 deck without any inconvenience. 



The sea-sickness is extremely troublesome to 

 people at sea. All are not attacked in the same 

 degree ; in general, persons of strong constitution, 

 and dwelling on the sea- coast, appear to suffer less 

 from it than such as are weakly, and inhabitants 

 of inland or mountainous countries. Instances of 

 the contrary are, however, to be met with ; nay, 

 even sailors inured by many voyages, are attacked 

 by it during violent storms. It is certain that the 

 cause of this disorder is not so much the sight of 

 the boundless ocean, the fear of danger excited by 

 it, and the disagreeable smell proceeding from the 

 water in the hold, which immediately corrupts, 

 longing for home, &c. but principally, if not entire- 

 ly, the unsteady motion of the ship. The sens- 

 ation which the voyager experiences from the 

 heaving of the immense fluid element, is exactly 

 similar to that which many persons feel from the 

 motion of a carriage by land, and many continue 

 to feel it even after they have been several hours 

 on shore. This sickness generally commences with 



