LOSS OF COLLECTIONS. 



277 



calm. The sea was full of minute Medusce, called " blubber " 

 by the sailors : some were mere whitish oval or spherical lumps, 

 others were brown, and beautifully constructed like a little cap, 

 swimming rapidly along by alternate contractions and expan- 

 sions, and so expelling the water behind them. The day was 

 very hot, and we suffered exceedingly from thirst. We were 

 almost in despair about seeing a ship, or getting on to the 

 Islands. At about 5 p.m., while taking our dinner, we saw the 

 long-boat, which was at some distance from us, tack. ''She 

 must see a sail," said the captain, and looking round we saw 

 a vessel coming nearly towards us, and only about five miles 

 distant. We were saved ! 



The men joyfully drank the rest of their allowance of water, 

 seized their oars, and pulled with hearty goodwill, and by 

 seven o'clock we were alongside. The captain received us 

 kindly on board. The men went first to the water-casks, and 

 took long and hearty draughts, in which we joined them, and 

 then enjoyed the almost forgotten luxury of tea. From having 

 been so long cramped in the boats, I could hardly stand when 

 I got on board. 



That night I could not sleep. Home and all its pleasures 

 seemed now within my grasp; and crowding thoughts, and 

 hopes and fears, made me pass a more restless night than I 

 should have done, had we still been in the boats, with dimin- 

 ished hopes of rescue. The ship was the Jordeson^ Captain 

 Venables, from Cuba, bound for London, with a cargo of 

 mahogany, fustic, and other woods. We were picked up in 

 latitude 32° 48' north, longitude 60° 27' west, being still about 

 two hundred miles from Bermuda. 



For several days afterwards we had fine weather and very 

 light winds, and went creeping along about fifty miles a day. 

 It was now, when the danger appeared past, that I began to 

 feel fully the greatness of my loss. With what pleasure had I 

 looked upon every rare and curious insect I had added to my 

 collection ! How many times, when almost overcome by the 

 ague, had I crawled into the forest and been rewarded by some 

 unknown and beautiful species ! How many places, which no 

 European foot but my own had trodden, would have been 

 recalled to my memory by the rare birds and insects they had 

 furnished to my collection ! How many weary days and weeks 

 had I passed, upheld only by the fond hope of bringing home 



