382 INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



level of the sea, v^ashed by every storm, until it had 

 become porous and full of holes, and the edges stuck 

 up hke points of rusted iron. The waves w^ere still 

 dashing over them, forming great whirlpools in the 

 hollow spaces, and suggesting a frightful picture of 

 the fate of any unhappy voyagers who might have 

 been thrown upon them ; and the rocks were strew- 

 ed with staves and planks from some wrecked ves- 

 sel. After walking two hours I became satisfied 

 that the canoa must have taken the brunt of the 

 storm, and my apprehensions were seriously excited 

 when I saw, at a long distance beyond, Bernaldo, 

 whom I at first thought I had overtaken, but dis- 

 covered that he had a small pyramid on his head, 

 consisting of cooking vessel and provisions. He 

 had met one of the sailors coming to our relief, from 

 whom he had taken his burden, and was then re- 

 turning. We went on, and after three hours' pain- 

 ful walking reached the cove. It was a wild, ab- 

 rupt, and narrow opening between the rocks, about 

 Mtj feet wide, with perpendicular sides, and leading 

 into a sheltered basin, which, while the sea outside 

 was raging, was calm and quiet as a pond. At the 

 head of this lay the canoa, which came down and 

 took me on board. 



From the simple and unaffected account of the 

 patron, his entry into the cove must have been sub- 

 lime. Night had overtaken him, and he supposed 

 that he had run by, when a flash of lightning dis- 

 closed the narrow passage, and he turned the old 



