TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 105 



•I 



difference, and alternately an almost equal de- 

 crease and increase ; in the same manner the in- 

 strument always indicated a constant decrease in 

 the saltness of the sea, but so, that here too, the 

 water taken from some depth was more salt than 

 that at the surface. The moisture of the air, on 

 the other hand, had greatly increased ; and ex- ' 

 cepting the hot and dry noon, the hygrometer, 

 especially in the morning and evening, indicated 

 the greatest relaxation, which was sensibly felt in 

 frequent clammy dews. Here, in the torrid 

 zone, the sea of an indigo blue colour, rolled in 

 uniform waves, and began to shine generally, and 

 with great splendour, during the night, a pheno- 

 menon which we had hitherto seldom observed. 

 This magnificent appearance, the frequent light- 

 nings, and innumerable falling stars, together with 

 the greater sultriness of the air, seemed to indicate 

 a higher degree of electricity in the element, 

 though the electrometer, in the prevailing moisture 

 of the air, showed rather less electricity than be- 

 fore. A striking change gradually took place 

 about Ourselves, which affected our own persons, as 

 well as the surrounding objects ; our satellite, the 

 shadow, at noon grew less and less, and withdrew 

 between the feet, as if in this part of the creation ^ 

 everything became more independent. This is 

 the latitude in which the flying-fish {Exoccetus \ 

 volitans) appear in shoals on the surface of the 

 sea, and present an entertaining sight to the soli- 

 tary observe. To avoid the ^^t\ under sail, and 



